Power and Friendship
by severus6
Summary: Ash is poised to compete in the Champions' League, the top Pokemon tournament. Haunted by a tough rivalry, Ash must reinvent his battling style to survive the fierce competetion. Can Ash improve his style and still remain true to his core principles?
1. Tensions Rise

Chapter 1: Tensions Rise

In the main arena of Sinnoh Castle, two powerful Pokemon faced off amid a cheering crowd. Both were bruised and tired, but neither was out for the count yet. A teenage trainer with messy black hair gave an order to a large turtle-like Pokemon. "Torterra, Earthquake!" Torterra stomped on the ground, sending shock waves under everyone's feet. The opposing Pokemon, which looked like a penguin, buckled as the attack hit.

The penguin Pokemon's trainer, a blond boy, knew that his Pokemon could not last much longer. It was time to go for broke. "Empoleon, Hydro Cannon!" he commanded. Empoleon sent a powerful blast of water at Torterra.

The Hydro Cannon hit its mark, but Torterra stood firm. The black-haired boy smiled. He had this match now. Empoleon would not be able to move after an attack like that, and one more powerful attack could be decisive. "Now's our chance!" he yelled. "Torterra, Leaf Storm!" Torterra sent a barrage of leaves at Empoleon, who fell over on its back.

The referee checked Empoleon. He raised a flag. "Empoleon is unable to battle!" he announced. "Torterra is the winner! The winner of this match is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"Yes!" shouted Ash, jumping up and down. "We're in the final round! Great job, Torterra, you were awesome!" After giving Torterra a grateful pat on the head, Ash returned his Pokemon to its Poke-ball. "Yes, Pikachu, we're going to the finals!" shouted Ash to the small yellow Pokemon at his side. Pikachu cheered its approval. Then, Ash walked up to his opponent. "Hey, Barry, great battle!" he said.

Barry, however, had fallen to his knees and returned Empoleon to its Poke-ball. "Why did I have to lose that one?" he moaned. "After Heracross defeated Gabite, I thought I was winning."

"Barry, you realize your mistake, don't you?" said a voice. It was Barry's father, Palmer, walking over to his son from the stands. "Ash is a tough opponent, and he doesn't give up easily. Especially in a league competition, you can't let your guard down until your opponent's last Pokemon is defeated. Good job, both of you."

"Hey, thanks, Palmer!" said Ash. "Barry, you battled great today."

"Thanks, Ash," said Barry, who still sounded dejected at his loss.

"Hey Ash, want to have dinner with us?" asked Palmer. "Dawn and Brock are welcome to come, too."

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Palmer!" said Ash. "I'll go tell them."

After letting Pikachu climb onto his shoulder, Ash went back inside to find his friends. Dawn and Brock were almost as happy as he was.

"Great going, Ash!" said Dawn. "Pikachu, you were great out there!"

"Nice work!" said Brock. "Now you're through to the final match."

"I know, I'm really psyched!" said Ash. "Hey, guys, Palmer just invited us to dinner with him and Barry. Wanna come?"

"Sure!" said both of them together.

"Great," said Ash. "Let's go to the Pokemon Center. We'll see them there, and then we can grab a bite to eat."

Sure enough, Barry and Palmer were at the Pokemon Center when Ash, Dawn, and Brock walked in. Barry was talking to Nurse Joy. "Are all my Pokemon okay?"

"All your Pokemon are recovering fine,"answered Nurse Joy. "They should really spend the night, but if they do, they'll be better before you know it."

"Thanks a bunch, Nurse Joy," said Barry. "With my opponent being so strong and all--"

"I think I should spend the night here, too," interrupted Brock in an unusually suave voice. "I'm injured inside, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with you looking after me for a night. Ouch!" Brock fell to the floor, hit by a Poison Jab from his Croagunk. The frog Pokemon dragged him out the door, chuckling as he did so. Nurse Joy giggled.

"Hey Nurse Joy," said Ash, "can you look after some of my Pokemon too? Buizel and Gabite both got hit pretty hard."

"Here," said Nurse Joy, taking the Poke-balls from Ash, "I'll look after them. You can pick them up after you get some dinner." Pikachu jumped down onto the counter.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," said Ash.

Meanwhile, Dawn was asking Palmer about her mother, and about news from her hometown.

"So how's Twinleaf Town been?"

"Fine, everyone was thrilled about your result in the Grand Festival," said Palmer.

"I only made best 16, I didn't do that great," said Dawn.

"But do you realize how uncommon it is for a coordinator your age to win five ribbons, and then to finish in the best 16 of her first Grand Festival?" asked Palmer.

"I guess you're right," conceded Dawn. "So anything happen since the Twinleaf Festival?"

"No," said Palmer, "the town's been kind of quiet since then. But when you come back, your mom is planning a party for you. She's really very proud."

"Hey, guys," said Ash, walking over.

"Hi, Ash," said Palmer. "Ready for a good meal after that match?"

"Yeah," said Ash, "you know me, no one loves a good meal more than me."

"Ash?" called Nurse Joy from the counter. "We have a phone call for you from Johto. Do you want to take it?"

"Sure," said Ash. "You guys can go on ahead, I'll catch up."

Ash went over to the phone, and saw a thirteen-year-old girl with brown hair and a green bandana on the screen. "Hey, May," said Ash, "how've you been? Long time no see!"

"Hey, Ash," said May, "I'm doing great! How's the Sinnoh League going?"

"It's going great! I just made it into the finals today! I could finally be a league champ! How many ribbons do you have right now?"

"I won five of them, which is why I'm calling you. The Johto Grand Festival opens in a week in Olivine City. You wanna come?"

"Hmm, I don't know if I can make it to the opening. The League closing ceremony's in three days, and then I'll have to take a boat to Olivine City. But I gotta see you for some of the festival, so I'll see if I can make it to the first battle round. Sound good?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to see you! Where are Brock and Dawn?"

"They're at dinner with some friends."

"Okay, then, we better get some dinner too. See you in a few days!"

"Bye, May!"

As Ash walked to the door of the Pokemon Center, he heard Pikachu behind him. Evidently, Nurse Joy had checked Pikachu first so it could have dinner with Ash and the others. "Come on, buddy," said Ash, "let's get ourselves some food! I could use some after that battle, and so could you."

Ash walked outside to meet Brock, Dawn, Palmer, and Barry. He smiled to himself as the breeze rustled in his hair. After over five years of journeying, training, and battling, he was in one of the big Pokemon League finals at last. The one twinge of doubt came from the possibility of his final opponent. One contestant from the upcoming semifinal that evening could make his final battle much harder than the other could. Still, if he lost, he could now look forward to seeing May in the Johto Grand Festival.

To allay his doubt, Ash asked Pikachu, "Hey Pikachu, we can beat Paul, can't we?" Pikachu pumped a fist in the air. Ash smiled again as they both walked into the restaurant to sit with their friends.

Ash sat down with his friends. The restaurant was accommodating enough to provide plates for Pikachu and Dawn's Piplup, as well as an all-you-can-eat menu for Pokemon League competitors.

"So who was that call from?" asked Dawn.

"It was May," said Ash. "She's gonna be in the Johto Grand Festival, and it starts in a week. We probably can't be there for the opening, but we'll probably get to see the battle rounds."

"Great!" said Dawn. "Battling May that one time at the Wallace Cup was awesome! I hope we can see more of that Glaceon of hers."

"Wait a sec!" yelled Barry from across the table. "Who's this May girl? Ash, is she your _girlfriend_? Be honest, or I'll have to fine you!"

"Chill out, Barry, she's not my girlfriend!" said Ash.

"Ash and I traveled with May through Hoenn together," explained Brock. "May was just starting out her journey, while Ash was looking for a new challenge. May was with us when Ash challenged the Kanto Battle Frontier, too."

"You have lots of close friends, Ash," said Palmer. "And speaking of the Battle Frontier, I've doing some training myself for the annual Frontier Brains' Tournament."

"Huh?" said Ash. "There's a tournament just for Frontier Brains."

"Yes," answered Palmer. "It's mainly a qualifying tournament for the Champions' League. You see, eight Brains will qualify for the next Champions' League from this tournament. Apart from that, each of the seven regions will contribute its Elite Four and top two Gym Leaders. The two finalists from each regional Pokemon League will compete as well."

Ash's jaw dropped. Did Palmer really mean what Ash thought he meant? "Does this... mean....YES! Hear that, Pikachu? We just made it to the Champions' League today! So what do you think, buddy? This is gonna be tougher than anything we've faced before, are you up to it?"

Pikachu cheered and gave Ash the thumbs-up.

"And remember," said Palmer, "whoever wins the Champions' League gets the chance to challenge Cynthia for the Championship."

"Yes!" yelled Ash again. "Cynthia had better be really scared, 'cause I'm gonna be the new champion!"

"Still," put in Brock, "I think you should focus more on the Sinnoh League right now. Paul and Charlie have their match in 15 minutes, and we need to get good seats. Remember, Ash, you're going to battle the winner of this match, and you'll need all the preparation you can get for the final, especially if you'll be facing Paul."

"Yeah," said Ash, "good point. I almost want Paul to win so I can beat him."

"Don't be so sure," said Dawn. "You usually come off worse in a battle with Paul."

"Like I need reminding," said Ash. "But now, I've changed my lineup, two of my Pokemon have evolved since we battled, and everyone on my team's gotten stronger. It's not gonna be easy, but I can beat Paul." Hoping he was right, Ash followed his friends into the stands.

"Magmortar, Body Slam!" yelled Paul. His Pokemon dutifully jumped into the air, landing on top of his opponent's octopus Pokemon. After remaining on top for a few seconds, Magmortar got up.

The referee looked at the octopus Pokemon. It did not move. He raised a flag. "Octillery is unable to battle! Magmortar is the winner! The winner of this match is Paul from Veilstone City!"

Paul acted very differently from Ash upon being declared the winner. He did not congratulate his Pokemon, nor did he give up the poker face he always wore. He did not even acknowledge his opponent, who had not proven himself a worthy challenger. He only returned Magmortar to its Poke-ball and left the field.

"Same old Paul," said Brock in the stands. "He's obviously been training hard for the league. I don't know if you can win against him, Ash."

"Even if I don't win, I'll give Paul the match of his life!" declared Ash. Pikachu backed him up.

"So,"said Barry, who was next to Ash, "you you wanna go down and congratulate him?"

Ash chuckled slightly at Barry's hero-worship. Barry had already met Paul, Paul had insulted him... and Barry _still_ idolized him? "Sure," he said. Paul wasn't the most gregarious person around, but it couldn't hurt to say hello. He and Barry got up to meet Paul, and the rest of the group followed behind him.

They found Paul talking with his brother, Reggie. In contrast to Paul, Reggie seemed genuinely proud that his brother won, and he was much more relaxed as well. "Great job, Paul!" Reggie was saying. So you'll be fighting Ash in the final?"

"Thanks," said Paul, without changing his scowling expression. "Yes, my final match will be with Ash. He looked like he'd been training hard the last time I ran into him, so I hope this battle will be more interesting than last time."

"So Paul," said Reggie, "are you going to use the same team as you did last time you fought Ash."

Paul shrugged. "Yeah, might as well."

"So you want me to help you train?"

"Yeah. You can help me train Magmortar, Torterra, and Honchkrow. And make sure Honchkrow's Aerial Ace is perfect," Paul added sternly, "because Ash now has an Infernape, and I don't want more trouble than I need."

Ash, Brock, Dawn, Barry and Palmer walked up to the two brothers. "Hey, Paul, congratulations! Hey, Reggie!"

"Hello, Ash, thanks," said Paul. He was as cold as ever, making for a less-than-friendly greeting, but it was still an improvement on how Paul used to talk to Ash.

"So Paul, are you excited about our match?"

"I'm looking forward to it. I hope you've been training hard."

"Yeah, you bet! You won't have such an easy time of it this time."

"We'll see."

"Hey, Ash," said Reggie, "you deserve some congratulations too for your win earlier today. And I believe this was your opponent?" he asked, indicating Barry.

"Yeah," said Ash. "Reggie, this is Barry. He's been a fan of Paul's for a long time. Paul's already met him. Barry, Palmer, this is is Reggie. He's Paul's brother. He was an accomplished Pokemon trainer himself."

"Hi, Barry," said Reggie. "And Palmer? You're the Tower Tycoon in the Battle Frontier, right? Pleased to meet you!" he said, shaking Palmer's hand.

"You're Palmer?" said Paul. "After the League's over, do you want a battle?"

"Not now," said Palmer, "at least not until I return to the Battle Tower. At the moment, I'm focusing on preparing for the Frontier Brains' Tournament."

"I understand," said Paul.

"Ash, Paul," said Reggie, "you two had better get to bed. You both have a full day of training tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Ash. "I'd better go back to my room. Good night, everyone."

It was not long before Ash was ready for bed. He had a full day of training prepared for tomorrow. "Hey, Pikachu," he called to his Pokemon, which was on the windowsill, "come on down here and get some sleep. We've got to get up early for our training."

Pikachu jumped down and got into its tiny sleeping bag. It asked Ash a question in Pokemon speak.

"Don't worry, Pikachu, everybody'll be fine. This won't be like the last time we fought Paul." He shivered, remembering the indignity of that loss. "We're all stronger than last time, Paul hasn't seen Gabite or Torterra before, and we heard today that Honchkrow's one Pokemon he wants to train hard. Plus, his strategizing won't work a second time, because I have some strategies of my own up my sleeve."

Pikachu nodded and yawned.

"Can you believe it, Pikachu," asked Ash. "Over five years since we started our journey, and we've made it at last into a Pokemon League final. And no matter what, we'll be in the Champions' League too."

Pikachu did not reply, as it had already fallen asleep. Ash smiled and rolled over. Within minutes, Ash was asleep too.


	2. The Victory Match Part 1

Chapter 2: The Victory Match (Part 1)

It was an unusually hot afternoon at Sinnoh Castle. The designated training grounds that had been close to packed two weeks before were nearly deserted. On such a day, with most of the league's competitors out of the tournament, and the weather so hot, most trainers would take a day off, having fun or visiting friends. However, a few diehards were in the grounds, hoping to get a leg up for next year's league, or gearing up for a completely different competition in a distant region.

Two of these diehard trainers, however, still really needed to be on the training grounds today. That very night, they would have a match for the title of Sinnoh League Champion, and in a matter of months, they would be competing together in the Champions' League.

Ash Ketchum was one of these two trainers. Today, he was out on the grounds training, doing some last-minute training for his biggest match yet. Not that Ash hadn't been preparing for this match all along. The previous day, he had gotten up at 5:30 to train without even eating breakfast, bolted down his lunch and dinner in five minutes to get back to training, and had not gone to bed until late at night. He had slightly eased up his schedule for this day so his Pokemon wouldn't get tired before the match had even started, but he still wanted to get in all the training he could before the match.

Ash had split his six Pokemon into pairs for sparring practice. This was a vital part of Ash's and his Pokemon's training routine, keeping everyone on their toes and not allowing them to let their guard down. On Ash's chosen section of the field, his tiny Pikachu and gangling, monkeyish Infernape were engaged in a fierce battle of speed. Not far away, his elegant-looking Gabite and his airborne Staraptor were trying to out-think each other.

But Ash was not watching either of these matches at the moment. He was with his hulking Torterra and his smaller, but extremely confident, Buizel, watching the two engage in a clash of styles: Torterra's raw power versus Buizel's speed. Ash was working on his plan to take Paul's strongest Pokemon out of the match as soon as he could. Most people would chide him for taking such a risk with his Pokemon choice, but Ash would take this risk. Paul would never see this coming.

"Alright, Torterra, give us an attack!" said Ash.

Torterra reared up on its hind legs and came down hard on the ground, launching an Earthquake.

"Okay, Buizel, use Aqua Jet!" yelled Ash.

Buizel rushed forward in a current of water, striking Torterra on the head before the shock waves reached it.

"Now, Torterra, Leaf Storm!" called Ash. "And Buizel, aim that Sonic Boom just like we've been practicing!"

Both Pokemon did as they were told. The result was perfect, just as Ash had hoped to achieve.

"Hey, Buizel, great job!" yelled Ash. He held his hand up in the air. Buizel came back toward Ash with another Aqua Jet, and high-fived Ash with the momentum. Ash was extremely proud of Buizel. His powerful Torterra was giving this match its all, but Buizel was starting to get the better of it. Ash was confident that Buizel could seal the win over Paul.

* * *

Pikachu and Infernape decided to take a break from their match. Both were sweaty and tired from the intense battling in the midday heat. Pikachu flopped down on its back in the grass, but Infernape just sat down, eying the other matches. It saw Ash high-fiving Buizel, and felt a strong twinge of jealousy.

Both yesterday and today, Ash had spent most of his time working with Buizel, leaving the other Pokemon mainly to their own devices. Sure, Buizel had an important part to play in the battle against Paul, but didn't Ash think the other Pokemon had important parts as well? What about Infernape itself, who had trained under Paul before? What about Buizel's sparring partner, Torterra, who had gotten helpful tips from one of Paul's own Pokemon? Couldn't they be of more help than the speedy, but less experienced, Buizel? All of these thoughts crossed Infernape's mind as it watched Ash and Buizel continue to train with Torterra.

Then, Infernape felt a prod in its back and an eager voice. Pikachu had gotten up, and was ready to start sparring again. Infernape flexed its muscles and turned to face Pikachu. It would just have to prove its worth to Ash, no matter what.

* * *

Finally, it was time for the match. The crowd, with the stadium filled to its 50,000-person capacity, was cheering in anticipation for it. From the beginning, nearly all bets for the league champion's title had were on one of the two contestants in this match. There had been only one question on anyone's mind: would the winner's trophy go to Paul, the poker-faced Sinnoh native, or to Ash, the fun, outgoing kid from Kanto? As the two had advanced through the tournament, everyone had seen how any match between them would inevitably be a clash of styles, with Ash's wild, emotional tactics against Paul's cold, unfeeling strategy. Now the two were meeting in the last round. Who would come out on top?

While the crowd was cheering, Ash was in the back of the ring, talking with Dawn and Brock. He was so excited, he couldn't stand still, but just paced back and forth while talking to his friends.

"Well, Ash, I can imagine you're psyched," said Dawn, correctly interpreting Ash's movements.

"You bet I am!" cried Ash. "That winner's trophy has my name on it! Right, Pikachu?" he added to his Pokemon. Pikachu gave a sound of determined approval.

"I'd be this excited, too," said Brock. "You and your Pokemon haven't done anything but train for the past two days." Brock was exaggerating, but just barely. Neither he nor Dawn had seen much of him, and when they had, it was during their much-abbreviated meals together. Indeed, Ash had never trained harder for a match than he had for this one. For Brock, who had watched Ash neglect to train for important events years before, it seemed almost impossible for Ash to be this fanatical about training.

Suddenly, the referee's whistle sounded, breaking the three out of their conversation. "Alright guys, here goes," said Ash, with a huge smile on his face.

"Good luck," said Dawn and Brock together.

"Thanks, guys," answered Ash, still smiling. He turned around, still smiling, and walked into the box drawn on the edge of the field for the trainers to stand in. He smiled even wider when he saw Paul walk away from Reggie into his own box, on the opposite side of the field. There was no way Paul would win with all the training he had done. He had this match. He knew it.

The crowd fell silent as Ash and Paul took their positions at opposite ends of the field. The referee raised both arms. "This match is a full six-on-six battle between Ash from Pallet Town and Paul of Veilstone City," he said. "The match will continue, with no time limit, until all six of either trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue battling. Each trainer may substitute Pokemon as desired." Lights flashed above to randomly determine who would get the first attack. It stopped on Ash's color. "Ash will have the first attack in this match," announced the referee.

Ash grinned even more broadly when he heard this. He and Buizel could put their new training into action right away.

The referee dropped his arms. "Begin!" he yelled, and the crowd started screaming again.

Ash threw his first Pokeball. "Buizel, I choose you!" he called. Buizel appeared on the field, looking smug and confident.

Then, Paul threw his Pokeball. "Torterra, stand by for battle!" Paul's Torterra, bigger and stronger than Ash's, appeared facing Buizel.

Ash smiled again. Paul had taken the bait, and now he would have to take the consequences. "Buizel, start this match off with Aqua Jet!" ordered Ash. Buizel rushed forward in its current of water, and scored a bullseye right between Torterra's eyes. It then stood for a victory pose on its opponent's back.

Paul wasted no time in barking out an order. "Use Leaf Storm!" The tree on Torterra's back started to glow bright green, ready to unleash a powerful attack.

"You know what to do, Buizel!" yelled Ash. Buizel did know. It jumped up and whipped its swishy tail around faster than the eye could see, sending out a powerful blast of air. The Sonic Boom hit the tree on Torterra's back just as the Leaf Storm went off- in the wrong direction!

Paul clenched his hands in his pockets. His Torterra was his strongest Pokemon, but so far, Buizel had the better of it. He was not about to let Buizel win, or to show weakness by recalling Torterra. "Redirect that attack!" he yelled harshly. Torterra did as it was told, looping the Leaf Storm back to aim at Buizel again.

But Ash had prepared for this as well. "Buizel, hide behind Torterra!" he shouted. Buizel jumped off Torterra's back and ducked, using its adversary's body as a shield. The Leaf Storm missed Buizel completely, but struck Torterra hard in the back. Ash pressed his advantage. "Now, Buizel, Water Pulse!" Buizel raised its arms and brought them down again in one rapid, fluid motion. A powerful wave of water burst out, slamming into Torterra's side and pushing it a good 30 feet sideways.

But Paul still wasn't letting his Torterra go without a fight. "Now, Frenzy Plant!" he commanded. Torterra jumped, and as soon as it landed, thick brambles shot out of the ground and headed straight for Buizel.

"Buizel, Aqua Jet!" shouted Ash. Buizel shot straight through the brambles on its current, trying to get to Torterra without getting hit. But Torterra made the brambles sway, hitting Buizel three times on its way. The Aqua Jet died off, but Buizel kept hurtling through the air, landing facedown at Torterra's feet. Buizel struggled back up onto one knee, but was having difficulty getting farther up. "Come on, Buizel," encouraged Ash, "stand up, you can do it!"

Paul smirked on the other end of the field. This new development went exactly as he'd hoped. Ash had made the mistake of trying to strike first, and all Buizel could do now was try to stand up while Torterra recharged from the Frenzy Plant. Meanwhile, Paul already had his next move planned.

At almost the same moment, Buizel and Torterra both recovered. "Great job, Buizel!" yelled Ash. "Now, Aqua Jet, one more time!" Buizel gathered all its strength, hitting Torterra on the chin with its renewed attack.

"Use Crunch!" ordered Paul suddenly. As Buizel rushed upward, Torterra stuck its head right through the onrushing water, biting Buizel hard on the tail. Buizel struggled to break free, but Torterra was stronger, and would not let go.

Ash was now in a dilemma. He'd faced this combination before when he'd faced Paul's Torterra. The next move would doubtlessly be Giga Drain, which would restore some of Torterra's strength. Buizel, on the other hand, might not survive, especially after already getting hit by Frenzy Plant. Still, there was one move that Buizel could use to get out of its jam. The only trouble was, Ash had planned it as his surprise finishing move to be used much later in the battle. As soon as Paul knew what he was facing, he would certainly switch Pokemon. Then, Ash's carefully crafted plan to beat Torterra would be wasted.

"Now, Giga Drain!" shouted Paul triumphantly.

In the split second that the mountains on Torterra's back started to glow bright green, Ash knew he had no choice. He would just have to hope his new move would take Torterra out of the match immediately. "Buizel, Ice Punch!" he commanded. Buizel's right fist glowed light blue, and Buizel brought it right down on Torterra's head. Torterra stumbled backwards and released Buizel, and its Giga Drain arced over Buizel's head, hit the ground, and died. "Ice Punch again!" yelled Ash. Buizel brought its other glowing fist into a swift left hook, hitting Torterra on the cheek and knocking it still farther backwards. Torterra swayed on the spot, then collapsed.

The referee watched Torterra, and saw no sign of movement. He raised the green flag on Ash's side of the field. "Torterra is unable to battle!" he announced. "Buizel is the winner!"

The crowd started screaming louder than before. Paul's Torterra, responsible for a number of crushing wins for Paul, had been not only defeated, but completely outfought by Buizel, one of the lightweights on Ash's team!

Paul furiously took out Torterra's Pokeball, and recalled his fallen Pokemon. "What on earth happened there?" Paul yelled at the Pokeball. "You won't take any breaks from training in the next month!"

On the other side of the field, Ash was ecstatic at his win. "Way to go, Buizel!" he shouted. "Now, take a little rest." He held out Buizel's Pokeball. "Buizel, return!" With that, Ash recalled Buizel. He then grabbed another Pokeball. Ususally, Ash would not send a Pokemon into battle without knowing what the opponent's Pokemon would be, but Ash had another winning strategy up his sleeve. He threw the Pokeball. "Gabite, I choose you!" he yelled. Gabite came out of its Pokeball, ready for battle.

Paul threw one of his own Pokeballs. "Weavile, stand by for battle!" Weavile was much faster and more experienced than Gabite was, not to mention the tremendous type advantage. Ash is clearly overconfident, thought Paul. Weavile would even the score.

Ash smiled again. Paul had made an obvious choice. Did he really think Ash didn't have a way to overcome the type disadvantage?

"Use Ice Shard!" ordered Paul, starting the battle. Weavile held its claws above its head, and a chunk of ice formed between them. Weavile then hurled the ice at Gabite.

"Gabite," said Ash, "dodge it and use Dragon Pulse!" As the Ice Shard shot toward Gabite, it jumped backward, and shot a charge out of its mouth, hitting Weavile in the chest. "Now, Gabite," commanded Ash, "Draco Meteor!" Gabite concentrated, gathering its energy in its open mouth. It then released the attack into the air. However, just when the attack was about to burst and release its power, it plummetted, and hit the ground between the two Pokemon, leaving only a small crater behind. Ash was stunned by this failure. He had told Gabite to practice Draco Meteor, as it would be important in this match. It looked, though, like Gabite hadn't practiced the move at all.

Paul took advantage of Gabite's lapse. "Use Ice Beam!" Weavile exhaled a light blue beam, which scored a direct hit on Gabite. Ash's Pokemon reeled backwards in pain. "Now use Metal Claw!" shouted Paul. Weavile jumped right at Gabite with its arm raised high.

"Gabite, Dig!" shouted Ash. Gabite dug a hole, and ducked into it just in time. "Now, Gabite," yelled Ash, "Rock Smash!" In the moment when Weavile's back was turned, Gabite pounded the side of its hole, sending rocks flying out of the ground at its adversary. Weavile fell over and rolled several feet. "Stay in that hole, Gabite!" ordered Ash. "Wait for Weavile's next attack!"

"I thought he said he'd been training," muttered Paul under his breath. He was getting bored with this battle. Gabite had failed to pull off a key move, and now Ash had told Gabite to hid in a hole. It was time to end this battle. "Use Metal Claw again!" he ordered. Weavile got up quickly, and jumped through the rift made by the Rock Smash with its claws raised.

"Gabite, dodge it and used Dragon Pulse!" shouted Ash. However, he realized his mistake too late. He'd told Gabite to stay in its hole, where there was nowhere to run. What's more, Weavile could use the rift from Gabite's Rock Smash to reach Gabite quickly! Ash gasped as Weavile's attack hit its mark, knocking Gabite deeper into the hole.

"Now Blizzard!" ordered Paul. Weavile launched its attack before Gabite could even stand up. It was so cold, it cracked the ground, sending Gabite straight through the roof of its hole. It rose about 30 feet above the ground level before landing facedown on the pile of ice and rubble created by the attack.

When Gabite made no move to get up, the referee raised his flag. "Gabite is unable to battle! Weavile is the winner!"

Ash returned Gabite to its Pokeball. "Thanks, Gabite," said Ash to the Pokeball. "You did great." He chose another Pokeball. Now, it was time to bring out one of the heavy hitters. "Infernape, I choose you!" shouted Ash as he threw the Pokeball. Infernape quickly brought its monkey-like body into a fighting stance.

Paul eyed Infernape from the other end of the field. One thing was for sure, Weavile was no match for Infernape. Paul recalled Weavile, picked up another Pokeball, and threw it. "Electabuzz," he yelled, stand by for battle!"

"Infernape, Mach Punch!" commanded Ash immediately. Infernape rushed forward and delivered its attack before Electabuzz could react. This was part of Ash's plan: Paul had a habit of sending Electabuzz out to use Light Screen before switching Pokemon, just so they would be protected from special attacks. Ash wanted to weaken Electabuzz every time it came out for this role, so Paul would have to choose these moments wisely.

Sure enough, as soon as Electabuzz had recovered, Paul shouted, "Light Screen!" Electabuzz erected its shield, and Paul recalled it. Then, he threw yet another Pokeball. "Honchkrow, stand by for battle!" Honchkrow came out with a menacing look in its eyes as it flapped its wings.

"Flamethrower won't do much against that Light Screen," said Ash quietly. "Infernape, Mach Punch!" he ordered. Infernape bounded forward, and landed a punch right on Honchkrow's head.

"Night Slash!" yelled Paul. Honchkrow's wing glowed dark purple. Honchkrow brought its wing around in a swift stroke, hitting the still-falling Infernape. Ash's Pokemon landed hard on the ground. "Now, Shadow Ball!" Paul commanded. Honchkrow let loose a black and purple ball of energy from its mouth, which crackled as it zoomed toward Infernape.

"Infernape, Dig!" said Ash. Infernape quickly dug a hole underground, and the Shadow Ball only hit the surface.

"Infernape, Mach Punch straight upwards!" yelled Ash. Infernape punched the ceiling of its tunnel before Honchkrow could land its hit. Inferanpe leapt out of the ground, and the tunnel caved in on top of Honchkrow.

Paul returned Honchkrow to its Pokeball. It was too much to hope that Honchkrow could beat Infernape right now. Fortunately for him, he had another idea to deal with this troublesome Infernape. He threw another Pokeball. "Magmortar, stand by for battle!"

"Infernape, Mach Punch!"commanded Ash immediately. Infernape bounded forward, landing a hit on Magmortar's face.

"Use Smog!" called Paul. Magmortar let out a toxic cloud of smoke, which billowed toward Infernape.

"Infernape, Dig!" yelled Ash. Just in time, Infernape escaped underground, and tunneled towards Magmortar. Ash smiled. If this attack hit, Infernape could very well win against Magmortar.

"Use Stomp!" said Paul suddenly. Just as Infernape's head broke the surface of the ground, Magmortar brought its foot down hard. Infernape fell back into the hole, and tunnel started to collapse.

"Get out of there, Infernape!" ordered Ash. This was bad. Magmortar had a counter for every attack Infernape used.

But it wasn't over yet. "Now, Rock Tomb to immobilize!" commanded Paul. As Infernape broke the surface again, two pillars of rock came up on either side of it. They were so close together, Infernape was stuck between them.

"Infernape, break free with Mach Punch!" yelled Ash. Infernape tried to punch the rock aside, but its arms were pinned to its sides. "Okay, then, Flame Wheel!" called Ash. Infernape started spinning in a wheel of fire, but it was still between the rocks. There was no alternative. Ash would have to recall Infernape, and hope that another Pokemon could beat Magmortar. He pulled out Infernape's Pokeball. "Infernape, return!"

"Rock Tomb again!" called Paul. A third pillar came out of the ground, and it was right between Ash and Infernape! "Now, Smog!" shouted Paul. Magmortar shot another toxic cloud at Infernape, who was now forced to take the attack head on. Ash's Pokemon coughed, affected by the poison.

Ash gritted his teeth. Infernape couldn't move, he couldn't recall it, and the poison from the smog was sapping its strength. One thing was for sure, though. Infernape still wouldn't go down without a fight. "Infernape, Flamethrower!" yelled Ash. It hit its mark, but the Light Screen was still in place. Magmortar just shrugged off the attack.

"Now use Stomp!" yelled Paul. Magmortar ran close to Infernape, landing a Stomp on the immobile Pokemon.

Suddenly, Ash saw flames erupt from over the rocks, coupled with an angry yell from Infernape. This was it! Infernape's Blaze was kicking in. Maybe this would give Infernape enough power to break the Rock Tombs. "Infernape, try Flame Wheel again!" called Ash. Sure enough, Infernape broke free of the rock and hurtled toward Magmortar.

"Flamethrower!" shouted Paul. Magmortar shot flames from its mouth, hitting Infernape. Ash's Pokemon did not stop, but the attack certainly slowed it down. "Now, Stomp!" ordered Paul. Infernape was right next to Magmortar, and the Stomp was a direct hit.

Infernape made no move to get up. The referee examined it. He raised a flag. "Infernape is unable to battle!" he announced. "Magmortar is the winner!"

Ash recalled Infernape. "Thanks, Infernape," he said to the Pokeball. "You gave it all you had." He threw Buizel's Pokeball out again. "Buizel, I choose you!" Buizel came out again, still slightly tired, but ready for another battle. "Buizel, Aqua Jet!" yelled Ash. Buizel rushed toward Magmortar in a current of water. It hit Magmortar in the chest.

"Smog!" commanded Paul. Magmortar sent out a cloud of its toxic smoke.

"Buizel, Sonic Boom!" yelled Ash. The Sonic Boom hit the Smog, dissipating the attack. "Now, Water Pulse!" called Ash. Buizel scored yet another direct hit with Water Pulse. The Light Screen absorbed the worst of the attack, but Magmortar felt it all the same.

"Use Stomp!" ordered Paul. Magmortar brought it foot right into Buizel's head, sending it hurtling backwards.

"Aqua Jet again!" called Ash.

"Rock Tomb!" shouted Paul. A column of rock came up behind Buizel as it sped forward with the attack. Magmortar suddenly jumped, taking only a glancing blow from the Aqua Jet, and landed on top of the column. "Jump down and use Flamethrower!" yelled Paul.

"Buizel, Water Pulse!" shouted Ash. The two attacks collided, causing a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, Ash and Buizel were both slumped of the ground. Both were unconscious.

"Both Buizel and Magmortar are unable to battle!" called the referee. "Since Ash has lost three Pokemon, both contestants will take a 15 minute break before concluding the match!"

Ash and Paul returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs. Ash looked at his afterwards. "Thanks, Buizel," he said gratefully. "You had an awesome match. Now, take a nice, long rest."

Ash walked down into the locker rooms for the break. As he walked, he brooded on the match. Buizel had done better than he could have expected, but Infernape and Gabite both looked off form. Why was all of the new training not working? Would Ash be able to win the match anyway? Ash looked down at his belt, where his Pokeballs were hanging. I will pull a win out of this match, no matter what, he thought. I won't lose to Paul again. I can't let my team down.


	3. The Victory Match Part 2

Chapter 3: The Victory Match (Part 2)

When Ash entered the locker room, he found Dawn and Brock waiting for him. "Hey Ash," said Dawn.

"Hey, guys," said Ash, but his gaze was fixed above Dawn's left shoulder.

"I can see that the match isn't turning out like you wanted," observed Brock.

"Yeah," said Ash. "I thought that with all our training, I'd be ahead right now. What's the matter with me?"

"Buizel was your only Pokemon that was really fighting well," said Dawn. "What was with the other two?"

"Yeah," agreed Ash, "I was wondering that myself. Why did Gabite's Draco Meteor go bad after practicing so much yesterday? And how could Infernape let itself get pinned down like that?"

"Hmm," said Brock thoughtfully, "how much did you train Buizel compared to the rest of your Pokemon?"

"I trained all of them enough," said Ash defensively. "I broke them up into pairs, and spent time with each of them."

"But did you train Buizel _more_ than your other Pokemon?"

"I―okay, I guess I spent more time with Buizel than the others," admitted Ash. "But I was training Buizel to take down Paul's Torterra, why doesn't Buizel need that extra help?"

"Well," said Brock, "your other Pokemon need that help too. Remember, Gabite _always_ had trouble with Draco Meteor, and more one-on-one training is crucial for that situation. And that's probably why Paul sacrificed Magmortar to take Buizel out of the match, because he could see that it was the best-prepared Pokemon on your team."

"I guess you're right, Brock," said Ash. "I just need a meeting with my team." Ash released his whole team from their Pokeballs, and they gathered around him. "Hey guys, I owe you an apology," he began. "I shouldn't have trained Buizel more than the rest of you. Don't get me wrong, Buizel, you were great," he added. "But I should've given all of you the same attention. I know I messed up the training before the match, but this battle isn't over yet. We can still win this match!" The team cheered its approval. While Ash returned the rest of the team to their Pokeballs, Pikachu exchanged a determined look with its trainer. Even after their mistakes, Ash and his best friend were still gunning for the win. "Okay, Pikachu," said Ash. "Let's do this." Together, they walked back onto the field.

Ash walked back onto the field to tumultuous applause from the crowd. Paul was already on the opposite side of the field. Evidently, he had taken only a short time to speak with Reggie before returning. From what little Ash could see from his side of the field, Paul was wearing his usual scowl.

The referee took notice of Ash's return. "Both trainers have returned to the field! The second half of the half will begin now! Ash will have the first attack!"

Ash threw a Pokeball. "Torterra, I choose you!"

Paul followed suit, throwing one of his own Pokeballs. "Electabuzz, stand by for battle!"

As the two powerful Pokemon materialized and faced each other, Paul's frown deepened. He had known that Ash's Monferno had evolved into an Infernape, but not that Grotle had evolved as well. This battle was going to be tougher than he'd anticipated.

Ash called the first attack. "Torterra, Earthquake!"

"Use Protect!" called Paul. The Protect blocked the Earthquake, but Paul was no happier for it. Electabuzz had to set a Light Screen in place, which it couldn't do if it constantly had to defend itself. He would have to risk Electabuzz fainting to do it. "Now Light Screen!" he ordered.

"Earthquake one more time!" called Ash. Torterra sent out another Earthquake, which sailed straight thorough Electabuzz's Light Screen. Ash was surprised to see Electabuzz still standing, albeit barely, after taking the hit.

Paul smiled. Now the battle would start going his way again. He returned Electabuzz to its Pokeball, and threw another. "Honchkrow, stand by for battle!" Honchkrow appeared again, flying in the air, leering at Torterra. "Use Shadow Ball!" Paul commanded. Honchkrow sent a crackling black ball of energy straight at Torterra.

"Torterra, Energy Ball!" ordered Ash. Torterra sent a glowing green ball of energy right back at Honchkrow. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion that covered the battlefield in opaque smoke.

"Now, Sky Attack!" shouted Paul. Honchkrow flew into the air, preparing to swoop down for a sudden attack on Torterra.

Ash saw immediately what Paul was trying to do. He was trying to use the thick smoke as a screen to prevent Torterra from hitting it with attack. That would not work. "Torterra, Rock Climb!" A rocky hill appeared out of the field, and Torterra ran up it using the sharp claws in its feet. The hill stretched so high that Torterra could see Honchkrow over the smoke. It gained on its opponent, then ran headlong into it, throwing Honchkrow backwards.

"Move it with that attack!" yelled Paul. Honchkrow sped back, hitting Torterra on the side of its face with its Sky Attack. Torterra blundered sideways. "Now, Night Slash!" ordered Paul. Honchkrow came back for a fresh attack, ready to bring its wing right into Torterra's back.

Ash watched the incoming Honchkrow closely. Just a little closer...now! "Torterra, Leaf Storm!" yelled Ash at the last second. The Leaf Storm scored a direct hit on Honchkrow at a close range. Its Light Screen shattered, Honchkrow was sent spinning out of control in the air. "Now, Torterra," said Ash, "finish this off with Rock Climb!" Torterra ran across new rock ledges, crashing into Honchkrow again. Honchkrow fell out of the sky, and did not move.

The referee raised a flag. "Honchkrow is unable to battle! Torterra is the winner!" he announced.

"Yes!" said Ash. "Nice job, Torterra! We can still win this!"

Paul, however, was not at all happy that his Pokemon was knocked out. He angrily returned Honchkrow to its Pokeball, and said to it, "That was terrible! I sent you out against two Pokemon with a type advantage, and you couldn't beat either one? Pathetic." He chose another Pokeball. "Weavile, stand by for battle!" he shouted as he threw it. Weavile appeared again, and landed on the ground, ready to spring forward on command.

Ash held up Torterra's Pokeball. He'd have to switch, or he'd really be pushing his luck. "Torterra, return!" he said as he recalled his Pokemon. But which Pokemon should he choose? Should it be Staraptor, who had already beaten Weavile but had a type disadvantage? No, Ash thought, Paul would have trained Weavile to win against Staraptor after that battle. Plus, there was the problem that Weavile was faster than Staraptor. But that left only one choice. Was Weavile also faster than Pikachu? "It's risky, but I have to try it," said Ash under his breath. He turned to Pikachu. "Alright, buddy, you're up." Pikachu ran onto the field to face Weavile. "Now, Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu rushed forward to start the fighting.

"Ice Shard!" ordered Paul. When Pikachu was inches away, Weavile launched a piece of ice straight at it, knocking it backwards.

Ash gasped. It looked like Weavile was faster after all. But he had just thought of something that just had to work. "Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" he directed. Pikachu ran at Weavile again, this time with its body crackling with electric power.

"Dodge it, then Blizzard!" yelled Paul. Weavile jumped out of the Volt Tackle's range.

But as Pikachu drew even with Weavile, Ash shouted "Iron Tail!" Pikachu jumped too, and flipped over, hitting Weavile hard with its tail. What was more, the energy from the Volt Tackle paralyzed Weavile. "Pikachu, Thunder!" called Ash. Pikachu turned around from its attack and sent a powerful burst of electricity at Weavile. But this new attack missed, hitting the ground three feet from Weavile.

"Ice Shard again!" shouted Paul. Weavile suddenly leapt up at the surprised Pikachu, hitting it with a second Ice Shard. "Now, Blizzard!" yelled Paul. Struggling against the paralysis, Weavile launched its powerful attack.

Ash watched in horror as the attack hit its mark, and Pikachu was trapped in ice! "Come on, Pikachu, use Thunder to break free!" he called desperately.

Paul smirked as he took out Weavile's Pokeball and recalled his Pokemon. He threw another one. "Ursaring, stand by for battle!" The menacing Ursaring emerged just as Pikachu was trying to break free. "Hammer Arm!" commanded Paul. Ursaring ran forward with its muscular arm raised.

"It's no good," said Ash, watching Pikachu zap the ice surrounding it. "Try an Iron Tail!" he ordered. Too late. Ursaring pounded Pikachu with it's Hammer Arm attack, sending it flying. It hit the wall of the stadium, and slid to the bottom, unmoving.

The referee raised his flag. "Pikachu is unable to battle!" he said. "Ursaring is the winner!"

Ash ran over to his Pokemon and picked it up off the ground. Pikachu stirred weakly. "Hey, buddy, you were great," said Ash.

Pikachu asked Ash a question in Pokemon speak.

"Don't worry Pikachu," Ash assured, "we're not giving up. It's gonna be a tough fight, but I'm not gonna just hand Paul the match. He's gonna have to work for the win. You just take a good long rest." Ash laid Pikachu on the bench behind him, and walked back to the field. But as he was walking back, something caught his eye. Electricity was sprakling all around Ursaring. "Great," he muttered to himself. "Ursaring must be paralyzed. I better knock it out quick before he can do much damage with its Guts ability." He threw a Pokeball. "Staraptor, I choose you!" Staraptor emerged, beating its wings in the air, wtaching Ursaring closely. "Okay, Staraptor, start this off with Aerial Ace!" Ash called. Staraptor attacked Ursaring from the side, almost knocking it over.

"Use Slash!" yelled Paul suddenly. Ursaring swung its huge claws at Staraptor, catching it off guard and kncoking it to the ground. "Now, Hammer Arm!" Paul shouted as Staraptor started getting into the air again. Ursaring hit Staraptor again, knocking it about thirty feet away. "Now, Hyper Beam!" ordered Paul. Ursaring sent out a powerful beam of light from its mouth, scoring a direct hit on Staraptor. Ash's Pokemon landed in the dirt. It tried to stand up, but fell over anyway.

The referee examined Staraptor. When it didn't move, he raised his flag again. "Staraptor is unable to battle!" he announced. "Ursaring is the winner!"

Ash recalled Staraptor. "Thanks, Staraptor, you gave it your all," said Ash. He threw his last Pokeball. "Torterra, I choose you!" Torterra reappeared, ready to do battle again.

Paul recalled Ursaring, and threw another Pokeball. "Electabuzz, stand by for battle!" Electabuzz came out, exhausted but still standing. The crowd was puzzled. Why use Electabuzz against Torterra when the type disadvantege is so obvious, and when it had already taken so much damage?

"Torterra, Earthquake!" yelled Ash. Torterra sent a powerful Earthquake through the ground.

"Use Protect!" commanded Paul. Electabuzz's defense blocked the attack. "Now, Brick Break!" Electabuzz raised its open hand, bringing it down in a chop on Torterra's head. Electricity from Electabuzz's body paralyzed Torterra.

Ash was sweating, knowing it was only a matter of time before Torterra went down. Still, he wasn't giving up. "Torterra, Leaf Storm!" he ordered.

"Protect!" said Paul again. Electabuzz blocked this latest attack.

"Torterra, Rock Climb!" said Ash. Rocks started to rise from the ground. Torterra ran up them, right at Electabuzz. But with Torterra slowed down by paralysis, it took longer than usual.

"Brick Break!" shouted Paul as Torterra came closer. Debris was thrown into the air by the resulting collision. When the dust had cleared, Torterra was revealed, bruised, tired, but still standing. Electabuzz, however, was down for the count.

The referee raised his flag. "Electabuzz is unable to battle!" he said. "Torterra is the winner!"

"Nice going, Torterra!" said Ash over the crowd's cheers, which were at their loudest yet. "Let's turn this match around!"

But Paul was only getting started on Torterra. After recalling Electabuzz, he had another Pokeball ready. "Ursaring, stand by for battle!" Ursaring, still strong, still paralyzed, and still dangerous, reappeared in front of Torterra. "Hammer Arm!" yelled Paul. Ursaring jumped forward as fast as its paralysis would allow, and hit Torterra so hard that its front legs gave way.

"Don't give up, Torterra!" yelled Ash. "Use Rock Climb!" With all its strength, Torterra threw Ursaring off its head and rushed at it with its Rock Climb. Ursaring was thrown backward onto its back. "Now, Torterra, Earthquake!" Torterra followed up with an Earthquake, but it had only raised its front legs before Ursaring was back on its feet.

"Focus Blast!" shouted Paul. Ursaring fired its attack just as Torterra brought its front legs down hard. Both attacks hit their marks. Torterra was thrown back ten feet, while Ursaring was brought down onto all fours.

"Now, Torterra, Energy Ball!" commanded Ash. Torterra released a glowing green ball of energy from its mouth, and fired it straight at Ursaring. The attack connected before Paul's Pokemon could get fully upright. "Finish this off with Leaf Storm!" yelled Ash. By the time Ursaring had managed to climb back to its knees, the powerful attack had hit its mark. When it was finished, Ursaring lay on its back, unconscious.

The referee raised a flag. "Ursaring is unable to battle!" he announced. "Torterra is the winner!"

"Great job, Torterra!" said Ash. "Only one more Pokemon to go!" However, he caught sight of Paul smirking across the field, and his mouth dropped open.

"Weavile, stand by for battle!" shouted Paul as he threw his final Pokeball.

"Let's end this match quickly, before Weavile can launch too many attacks!" said Ash. "Torterra, Earthquake!"

"Jump and use Ice Shard, and land on Torterra's back!" ordered Paul. As the underground vibrations reached Weavile, it jumped out of reach. The nimble Pokemon launched an Ice Shard from midair which caught Torterra in the face, and landed on its opponent's back—right next to the tree.

"Torterra, Leaf Storm!" Ash commanded. The tree on Torterra's back started to glow.

Paul smirked again. Ash had actually fallen for this trap. "Blizzard!" he yelled. As Torterra launched its attack, Weavile froze the Leaf Storm into a solid block of ice. "Now, Metal Claw!" ordered Paul. Weavile hit Torterra on the head just as the frozen Leaf Storm dropped onto its back and shattered. Torterra slumped on the ground, and made no move to get back up.

The referee raised a flag. "Torterra is unable to battle! Weavile is the winner! The winner of this match is Paul from Veilstone City!"

Paul recalled Weavile and left the stadium. After dealing with Ash, who was clearly still weak after all his training, he had no business staying.

Ash dropped to his knees and watched his opponent leave the stadium. Paul had been his rival ever since Ash had arrived in Sinnoh, and he had seen the ruthless and callous nature that contrasted so much with his own. Somehow, Ash had never seemed to be able to get the better of Paul. He kept replaying his losses to Paul in his head: their first match, when Ash's newly caught Starly went down against Paul's much stronger Starly; his Gligar, fighting its first ever battle, taking a Guillotine from Paul's Gliscor; his Grotle, newly evolved, suddenly losing its prized speed and getting clobbered by Paul's Honchkrow; and at the end of their last battle, Ash's Monferno, newly evolved, determined to win, but losing anyway to Paul's Electabuzz. He now had a new loss to Paul on his mind. At the end, he looked up at Torterra. He thought of how Torterra, paralyzed and tired, had gone down to Paul's Weavile with hardly a struggle. Summoning his courage, Ash finally got up and walked over to his fallen Pokemon. "Thanks, Torterra," he said, as teared welled up in his eyes. "You battled really well today. You just made me really proud. Now, just take a nice, long rest." He returned Torterra to its Pokeball, and ran out of the stadium.

Ash's depression did not go away the next day. He was in the same situation as the last time he'd battled Paul. He'd lost, all of his Pokemon needed to spend some time recuperating, and Ash himself was feeling guilty and doubtful. Ash had always learned trust and friendship between Pokemon and their trainers was essential to accessing the Pokemon's full strength. How, then, was Paul, who valued neither, able to train his Pokemon so well? This question burned through Ash's mind as he took a long walk outside Sinnoh Castle, or as he stayed shut up in his room for the rest of the day.

Ash could barely drag himself out of his room to go to the closing ceremony that evening. He forced a smile when Mr. Goodshow, the President of the Pokemon League, handed him his second-place trophy. Even though he'd done better than ever before in a league, it mattered little. He felt very uncomfortable standing next to Paul, who had his first place trophy, and stood on the champion's platform right next to Ash, raised above the other competetitors.

However, he was careful not to let this show while he was in the spotlight. He waited until he was alone with Brock and Dawn before voicing his feelings.

"Cheer up, Ash," said Dawn when Ash told them about his insecurities. "You're not always gonna win, especially against a trainer like Paul."

"Yeah, but why?" said Ash. "Why should Paul be the better trainer? What's he doing that I'm not?"

"Well," said Brock, "remember, you spent almost all of your training time with Buizel and Torterra. And Buizel and Torterra were the only Pokemon of yours who took out any of Paul's Pokemon. You can bet that Paul, especially with Reggie helping him, trained all his Pokemon carefully."

"I guess you're right," said Ash gloomily. Suddenly, his voice became determined. "Then I'll just have to train all my Pokemon extra hard for the Champions' league."

"Ash," said Brock, "I'm with you. When you start training, I'll help you."

"Thanks a lot, Brock," said Ash.

"I don't really think I can make it," said Dawn. "It's just, I have the party back in Twinleaf Town in a few days, so I can't come to Johto with you to see May. Then, I have some Pokemon of my own to train."

"Dawn," said Ash with his old smile, "it was great traveling with you. Keep in touch. Say hi to your mom for me."

"Hey Ash," replied Dawn, "let me know where the Champions' League is, okay? I'll start my next journey from there."

"Will do," said Ash. "Take care of yourself, Dawn." He turned to the blue Pokemon on her shoulder. "And you too, Piplup."

"See you later, Dawn," said Brock.

"Bye, guys," said Dawn. "You've both been great pals. Thanks for all your help." Dawn walked away, leaving Ash and Brock alone.

"We should pack," said Brock. "Our boat to Olivine City leaves in the morning. We can talk about a training plan on the way."

"Yeah," said Ash. "It'll be good to put this loss behind me. Now, let's go see May again, and then get ready to take on the Champions' League!" But Ash was not as confident as he sounded. He thought again of his latest loss to Paul. Then, for the first time, another thought crept into his mind. Many of the trainers at the Champions' League would be even better than Paul. How hard would he have to work to be able to beat them? Could he and his Pokemon handle it? All the time he was packing, Ash puzzled over these questions. I'll beat them all, he thought. I'll give it whatever it takes.


	4. May Day

Chapter 4: May Day

During the days that the ship was sailing toward Olivine City, Ash spent his time in whatever diversion he could find. He tried playing Ping Pong with Brock. He tried running laps around the ship. He tried swimming in the ship's pool. None of it was any good. His latest loss to Paul kept coming back into his mind. He ended up spending a great deal of time alone, with not even Pikachu for company, asking himself why Paul almost always beat him. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't seem to think of either a reason or a constructive solution.

The night before their boat was due to arrive, late at night, Brock walked into the room he shared with Ash to find his friend staring into space. "Hey, Ash," he said, "what's up? You've been really out of it this whole trip."

"Hey, Brock," said Ash, snapping out of his reverie. "The match with Paul's been on my mind. This is the second time I lost a full battle with him. I don't know if I can beat him."

"You can beat him," assured Brock. "You just need to work hard, and train _all_ of your Pokemon."

"But what can I do _now_?" asked Ash. "It'll be while before I battle Paul again, if I even get to battle him in the Champions' League. I'm really gonna hate this wait."

"Maybe you should put together a power team," suggested Brock. "Maybe you shouldn't just use the Pokemon you caught in Sinnoh. Even though you can't start training them now, think about which ones you'd like to use."

"Thanks, Brock. I couldn't sleep anyway, so I might as well do that."

After Brock had gone to bed, Ash took his advice. He started thinking about each of his Pokemon, with a pen and paper in hand, and tried to decide which would be most useful in a battle with Paul. Pikachu was a no-brainer. Ash and Pikachu were going to beat Paul together. Charizard would be a good choice, too; when it came to raw power, Ash couldn't do better. But Ash also needed a backup power Pokemon, to take over if Charizard couldn't do all the heavy hitting. He thought of Snorlax, which could take out lots of Paul's Pokemon if it had to. Ash also felt that he should include Sceptile on his top team. Ash had raised Sceptile from a Treecko into a powerhouse battler that could often win at a disadvantage. But what about the other two spots? What other Pokemon did Ash have that could stand up to Paul's powerful Pokemon? Ash would think about this in the morning. He felt a little better after making decisions for a possible rematch with Paul, and he was now able to fall asleep.

The next morning, around 10:30, Ash and Brock stood on the ship's railing, watching the coast come into view. First to be seen was the majestic lighthouse that towered above everything else for miles around. Slowly, the bustling port town of Olivine City came into view. Not that everyone was working: Ash and Brock could see hundreds of people stretched out on the beach, taking advantage of the sunny weather. As the ship drew closer, Ash and Brock ran back to their room to get their belongings, and then ran back to the main deck to disembark.

When Ash and Brock left the ship, they found a young boy of about nine waiting for them. He was dressed in shorts and a polo shirt. He had messy, dark hair, and on his face were a pair of big glasses and an equally big smile. "Hey, guys!" he shouted when he saw them. "Ash, Brock, Pikachu, it's great to see you guys!"

"Hey, Max!" said Ash as Pikachu jumped onto the other boy's shoulder. "Been here to cheer May on in the Grand Festival?"

"Yeah," answered Max, "mom and dad really wanted to come, too, but they were too busy with the gym. But it's great that I could come, this contest has been amazing! Have you heard that May's in the Finals?"

"No way!" exclaimed Ash. "We thought we came too late."

"Well, my sister wiped the floor with all her opponents, of course! It's all part of having a famous gym leader as a dad!" The others laughed at his joke.

"So is May training for the match right now?" asked Brock.

"Yeah," said Max. "She needs all the training she can get, too. She's up against Solidad in the Finals."

"I hope May has something big up her sleeve for this match," said Ash. "Remember the Kanto Grand Festival last year, when May lost big?"

"How could I forget?" said Max. "But she'll win this time. She has some secret moves she's been practicing. And by the way, it's a shame you didn't win the Sinnoh League. Then, my sister and one of my friends would both be champions!"

"Don't remind me about that," said Ash, upset. "We might've lost this time, but I promise you, we'll go really far in the Champions' League. And we'll have some secret combinations of our own next time. Right, Pikachu?" Pikachu voiced its approval of Ash's words.

"Oh yeah, May told me about that!" exclaimed Max. "So that means you and dad are competitors!"

Ash was taken aback. "Wait, Max, did you say your dad was in the Champions' League too?"

"Yeah," answered Max, "he's been in every Champions' League for over twenty years! I think if he'd put all his time into training rather than marrying my mom and raising May and me, he couldv'e won the league. He'd probably be champion right now instead of Cynthia."

Ash's head spun. Did Max's father share his son's opinion? Could Norman really have been a champion had he not chosen to become a family man? Had Norman actually sacrificed his full potential for his kids? He thought of his own father...a man who had left him when he was very young...a man his mother had contact with, but who he himself had never known...

"You should be really grateful," said Brock. "Putting you and May before himself like that takes a lot of courage. My parents both left home to be great trainers, but they never really had that kind of talent. Then you have your dad, who could've been one of the best trainers ever, but chose not to for the sake of his family."

"Yeah, he's the best dad in the world!" said Max.

It was almost dinnertime when Ash and Brock first saw May. She had been somewhere outside Olivine City, training for her contest where she wouldn't be seen.

"Hey, May!" said Max when he saw her. "Look who turned up today!"

"Hey, guys!" said May, running up to them and patting Pikachu on the head. "I thought you wouldn't make it, today's the last day of the Grand Festival!"

"Sorry, May," said Ash, "it's the best we could do coming from Sinnoh. Anyway, we heard the news! Congrats on making it into the Finals!"

"Thanks a lot, Ash!" said May. "It wasn't easy. All my Pokemon were working really hard. I only just managed to beat Drew and Harley in the battle rounds. This'll be even tougher."

"Sounds like what Ash did at the Sinnoh League," said Brock. "He trained hard, all day, every day. I barely saw him at all except at meals."

"Wow," said May. "Sorry about the way things went at the Sinnoh League, though."

"So you were watching too?" asked Ash.

"Yeah," said May, "it's good that the Final was before the Festival started. By the way, Ash, I recognized that kid who beat you."

Ash was floored. "What?" he said. "You and Paul actually _know_ each other?"

"No, not exactly," said May. "Some time before I started my journey, he stopped by dad's gym back home."

"Wow," said Ash, "small world. Did he beat your dad?"

"Yeah. It was his first loss in three months. I didn't watch the battle, but it made our whole house shake."

"That's Paul," said Brock. "He won't train a Pokemon until it's proven its power."

"What did Paul say after he won?" asked Ash.

"Not much," answered May. "He just took the badge, thanked dad for the match, and went on his way."

"Your dad must've put up a good fight if Paul was actually nice to him," said Ash, a note of renewed anger in his voice. "After our battle, Paul wouldn't even look at me."

"Come on," said Brock, wanting to change the subject before Ash got too depressed. "What do you say we get a bite to eat before the match? I know this great steak house that we can get to in ten minutes."

Everyone agreed to get some food, so the group made its way to the restaurant, talking animatedly about May's upcoming match with Solidad.

It was a good thing May had gotten tickets for Ash and Brock to watch the Final. The tickets for the match were completely sold out, and Ash, Brock, and Max were surrounded by screaming fans. This could be a match where history would be made.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" called the hostess. She was wearing a blue outfit, and also a matching visor over her brown hair. "Welcome to the final of the Johto Grand Festival! Let me introduce our competitors! To my left is Solidad from Pewter City, the winner of last year's Ribbon Cup in Kanto and always a high placer in Grand Festivals!" Solidad, a beautiful young woman with long, flowing hair, waved to the crowd, and Brock's admiring remarks were drowned out by screams. "And to my right is May from Petalburg City, a rising star on the contest circuit, who has a chance to become the youngest ever Top Coordinator tonight!" Ash and Max clapped louder than everyone else as May waved to the crowd too. The hostess paused for the crowd to cheer on their favorite coordinators. "And now, for all you newcomers, let me introduce our distinguished judges one more time!" She motioned to a table behind her, where two men and three women sat. Motioning to an older man with a neat red suit and graying hair, she announced, "First, the director of Pokemon contests, Mr. Contesta!"

"Always a pleasure to be here!" Contesta said.

"And," said the hostess, motioning to a short man with close-cropped black hair, "the President of the Pokemon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!"

Sukizo had only one word to say. "Remarkable!"

"And," the hostess continued, motioning to the three nearly identical women behind her, "we have the Nurse Joys of Olivine City, Cherrygrove City, and Mahogany Town!"

The three nurses said their greetings.

"And here's the Final of the Johto Grand Festival, with your favorite host, Lilian!" May and Solidad looked determinedly at each other. They were both ready for what promised to be a great battle. "And now...begin!" said Lilian.

May threw her Pokeballs first. "Venusaur, Hitmontop, take the stage!" she shouted as she released her two Pokemon. Hitmontop struck its combat position, while Venusaur stared down the field at Solidad.

"So that's what May was doing all this time!" said Max to Ash and Brock. "She must have been working at catching that Hitmontop! I've never even seen it before."

Solidad now threw her Pokeballs. "Ninetales, Mightyena, let's go!" The two Pokemon came out, and stared right back at May's Pokemon. Mightyena was matching Venusaur's ready stare with a threatening one, while Ninetales looked pensively at Hitmontop.

A buzzer sounded as a digital timer over the contest screen started its five-minute countdown. The battle had officially begun.

May made the first move. "Venusaur, Hitmontop, use Spinning Top!" Hitmontop did a quick headstand, balancing on its spiky point. A moment later, Venusaur's Vine Whip was curled around its leg. Venusaur then spun Hitmontop around so fast, still balancing on its point, that its whole body became a blur. It used some momentum to rush right at Mightyena and Ninetales.

"Some technique," said Ash to Max and Brock. "I never thought of using Vine Whip like that."

"Yeah, they must've spent a lot of time practicing," agreed Brock. "If that Triple Kick hits, Solidad will have a hard time pulling back."

Solidad smiled. "Alright, Ninetales, Mightyena, Double Dog Team!" she directed. The two Pokemon ran up to meet Hitmontop, who braced for the impact. Then, without warning, they ran in different directions, just missing Hitmontop's powered-up Triple Kick. The two changed direction again in the blink of an eye, hitting Venusaur on opposite sides with powerful Take Down attacks while Hitmontop was still moving quickly away from them.

"Amazing!" commented Lilian. "May makes the first move, but Solidad scores the first hit!"

"Venusaur, hold them off with Razor Leaf!" called May. Venusaur sent sharp leaves at both its adversaries, keeping them at bay. "Keep it up just a little more, Venusaur!" May encouraged. Venusaur renewed its effort, even though it could not hold on much longer.

Suddenly, Solidad's smile disappeared to be replaced by a look of panic. "Look out, Mightyena!" she warned. She was too late. Hitmontop came barreling back into the fray, still spinning extremely fast, and landed a powerful kick on Mightyena. In a split second it had looped around Venusaur, hitting Ninetales with another kick. Hitmontop stopped spinning, and stood back to back with Venusaur, with Hitmontop facing Mightyena and Venusaur facing Ninetales.

"And May pulls back with another clever combination! This will be a tough match!" said Lilian.

"Give me a Shadow Sense!" ordered Solidad. Mightyena opened its mouth, forming a crackling Shadow Ball, which it sent right at Hitmontop.

"Hitmontop, Rapid Spin!" yelled May. Hitmontop spun around quickly, ready to deflect the Shadow Ball, but right when it was about to hit, Ninetales changed the attack's trajectory with an Extrasensory attack. The Shadow Ball zoomed into the air instead, stopped, then shot back down for another attack. "Now," said May, "time for a Change of Guard!"

The effect on the crowd was immediate. Nobody could see what May meant. The screams suddenly turned into noises of bewilderment. "What's May trying to pull?" asked Ash. "She's gotta get rid of that Shadow Ball! She's already behind on points!" Sure enough, a glance at the scoreboard showed that Solidad had a small lead on points, while a roving Shadow Ball would likely make this worse for May. Worse, they couldn't see exactly what May was up to with her bizarre call.

But it made sense to Venusaur and Hitmontop, who did a kind of pirouette together before letting go and sailing off in opposite directions as the Shadow Ball hit the ground. Then, suddenly, something happened that made the cheers start again, louder than before. Venusaur slammed right into Mightyena, while Hitmontop hit Ninetales with a powerful Close Combat. The "change of guard" was just another one of May's combinations!

"And now," announced Lilian, "May is ahead after pulling off a daring stunt!"

"Now," shouted May, ready to press her advantage, "Venusaur, Razor Leaf, and Hitmontop, use Close Combat again!"

But Solidad was not finished yet. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve. "Mightyena, Shadow Ball! Ninetales, Zen Headbutt!" The Shadow Ball couldn't stand up to Venusaur's Razor Leaf, which cut through Mightyena's attack and hit the Pokemon full force. Ninetales, however, scored a clean hit on Hitmontop with its Zen Headbutt. Hitmontop flew backward, crashing into Venusaur, but this was not the success that Solidad had hoped for. Mightyena was struggling just to get up, and Ninetales would have to protect it at any cost. Before May's Pokemon could do anything, Solidad yelled, "Ninetales, Flare Blitz!" Ninetales, its body covered in flames, barreled into Venusaur and Hitmontop, hitting them hard with its attack. Its attack finished, Ninetales jumped in front of Mightyena, trying to give it time to get back up.

May, however, had other ideas. "Hitmontop," she ordered, "use Close Combat on Mightyena!" Hitmontop ran, trying to get around Ninetales to land its powerful attack, but Ninetales jumped in front of Hitmontop again.

"Now, Ninetales," commanded Solidad, "Zen Headbutt!"

Ninetales rushed forward again, ready to hold Hitmontop off. But suddenly: "Venusaur, Hyper Beam!" yelled May. The attack came with no warning. The Hyper Beam hit Ninetales squarely on its flank, blasting it out of the way. Its path cleared, Hitmontop hit Mightyena with its Close Combat. A loud buzzer sounded as both of Solidad's Pokemon fell over, unconscious.

The cheers of the crowd were deafening. Over the noise, Lilian shouted, "Will you look at that! Neither of Solidad's Pokemon can continue! The new Top Coordinator for Johto is May from Petalburg City! What a dazzling turn of events!"

May ran over and hugged her Pokemon as Ash, Brock, and Max ran toward her. "You did it, May, you did it!" yelled Max as he ran over and hugged his sister too.

"That was a great battle!" exclaimed Ash. "You really deserve that Ribbon Cup!"

"That was a spectacular performance!" said Brock. "Way to go!"

"I have to say, that was some impressive battling," said someone else. They looked to see Solidad walking toward them.

"Solidad!" shouted Brock, tears suddenly welling up in his eyes. "Even though you lost this battle, you didn't lose your place in my heart! You still have lots of beauty and style in my..." But he stopped suddenly and fell to the floor, as Croagunk had hit him with a Poison Jab. Croagunk dragged him away, laughing, as Solidad giggled.

"Thanks, Solidad!" said May, as if nothing had happened. "I didn't know if it would be enough to beat someone like you!"

Then, everyone looked in the opposite direction. Mr. Contesta was walking toward them, carrying the huge ribbon cup. "It is my honor and pleasure to present you this year's Ribbon Cup," he said, his voice magnified by a body microphone. "You have undoubtedly earned it. Congratulations!"

"Thanks so much!" said May. She took the cup, holding it above her head in triumph.

That night, after a big celebration, Ash, Brock, May, and Max stood in the harbor, waiting for the next ship to come in. "I can't wait to get back to Petalburg City!" said May excitedly.

"Yeah!" agreed Max. "You'll be the talk of the town!"

"Attention," a female voice rang out on speakers around the harbor. "This is the first boarding call for the S.S. _Mantine's Fin_. The ship will be arriving from Vermillion City in ten minutes. It is expected to leave for Littleroot Town in a hour and a half. Repeat, this is the first boarding call for the S.S. _Mantine's Fin_."

"We'd better go," said Max.

"Yeah," said May. "Ash, Brock, where will you be going?"

"I'll be going back to Pallet Town to train for the Champion's League," said Ash. "I've realized since the Sinnoh League that I'm gonna need all my Pokemon to win it."

"I'm heading back to Pewter City," said Brock, "and then I'll head to Pallet Town too. Ash will probably need by help training."

"Hey, Ash," said May, "would you like my help training too?"

"What?" said Ash in disbelief.

"Max told me you wanted to come up with some secret combinations of your own, and I think I want to take a break from my journey. I know I have a different style, but would you want me to help you and your Pokemon?"

"Sure!" answered Ash. "The more, the merrier! Thanks a lot, you'll be a big help if you come!" So the four friends bade one another goodbye, and May and Max went to their ship, Ash and Brock to their room at the Pokemon Center.

Ash was ready for bed, still talking with Pikachu over May's victory. "May had to have some guts, using her brand-new Hitmontop in the Final," said Ash.

Pikachu said something half amused, half reproving.

"Hey, buddy, don't get me wrong, I never said it wasn't a smart idea!" said Ash. "That Hitmontop was an amazing find for May. Its Close Combat attack was amazing..." Ash's voice trailed away. Thinking of Close Combat reminded him of something. Then he remembered: his own Staraptor had used Close Combat to beat two of Paul's Pokemon, more than any of his other Pokemon before the Sinnoh League. Ash pulled out the piece of paper where he was listing his power team, and added Staraptor as the fifth Pokemon on the list. "You know, Pikachu," said Ash, "I think we're one step closer to beating Paul."


	5. The Great Gathering

Chapter 5: The Great Gathering

In Kanto Bay, a wrecked submarine, shaped like a Magikarp, floated to the shore. It washed up on a beach, stopping suddenly, and a man, a woman, and a catlike Pokemon fell out of the broken hatch. The two humans were wearing outfits of off-white and black with red R's on the front. Although they were both were very stylish, they were looking very bedraggled at the moment. They were sopping wet with seawater, and seaweed was hanging from their clothes and hair.

"This is all _your_ fault, James!" said the woman angrily, raising a fist at her partner. "I told you to keep us on the tail of the twerps' boat for a minute while I went to fix my hair!"

"Don't blame me, Jessie!" shouted James. "Meowth didn't pedal fast enough while I checked that we were still following the twerps!"

Meowth took some seaweed out of its fur and threw it, hitting James in the face. "What's the big idea, Jimmy?" it said. "My legs ain't long enough to pedal like that all by myself. But you, Jessie, you never do the pedaling. And great job fixing up your hair!"

That last remark earned Meowth a punch in the face from Jessie. "How _dare_ you!" she screamed. "My hair would have looked really nice if you'd done what I'd told you! But you two had to let us fall behind, and then we got attacked by that Wailord, and now we've lost the twerps and my hair's completely trashed!"

The three then got into a fight with each other, swinging legs, fists, and claws at whomever they reach. Finally, the trio was left exhausted in the sands.

"I'm pooped," said Meowth.

"I guess fighting won't solve anything," said Jessie.

James and Meowth looked at each other. Jessie, after all, had started their fight. However, as neither of them wanted to fight any more, they held their objections.

"James," said Jessie, "where's that book you got to help us in Sinnoh?"

"I'll get it," said James. He climbed back into the badly damaged submarine, emerging a minute later holding a book. The title _A Criminal's Handbook_ was printed on the cover.

"What does it say about following people once you've lost their trail?" asked Jessie.

"Let's see," said James. He opened the book, quickly finding the page he wanted. "Here it is! _When you have lost a trail, and don't know the person's destination, go back to their home. More likely than not, they will stop there sooner or later. Wait for them at their home, and resume your stalking,_" read James out loud.

"Go back to the twerp's home?" said Jessie. "But we don't even know where we are!"

"Yes, we do," said Meowth. It pointed its claw toward a cluster of buildings in the distance. "That there's Vermillion City. We can take a little stop over there, and then we can hightail it to Pallet Town to wait for the twerps." The other two agreed, so the three of them walked toward Vermillion City.

* * *

"Hi, Mom, I'm home!" called Ash as he and Brock entered his house.

Ash's mother, Delia, came out from the kitchen to greet Ash. She was wearing an apron over her blue shirt and yellow shirt, and her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. "Hi, Ash, welcome home!" she said. "How's my runner-up? And hi, Brock, how are you?"

"Great!" said Ash. "It's good to be back!"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Ketchum, thanks for asking," answered Brock.

"So how's life in Pallet Town?" asked Ash.

"Oh, you know, same as always," his mother replied. "I'm just enjoying the last of the warm weather before winter hits. And come in the kitchen, dinner's almost ready," she added.

When Ash and Brock followed Mrs. Ketchum into the kitchen, two voices shouted, "Surprise!"

Ash and Brock looked. Two girls were seated at the kitchen table. One of them was May. Ash and Brock were surprised that May was here already; she couldn't have stayed in Petalburg City with her family for very long.

Still, the bigger surprise was the other girl sitting at the table. The same age as Ash, her red hair was tied in a ponytail which stuck out to the left. She wore an outfit that the others had never seen before: a red sleeveless shirt with jean short shorts.

"May! Misty!" Ash and Brock shouted in unison. "How's it going?"

"Hey guys!" said May.

"Ash, Brock, nice to see you guys! You have to tell me all about the Sinnoh League later!"

Ash's face fell; how could he explain this to Misty?

"Oh yeah, sorry, Ash," said Misty. "I heard about how you lost in the finals."

"So you saw it on TV, too?" Ash asked.

"No," said Misty. "I was competing in the gym leader qualifier for the Champion's League. Darn it, I _knew_ I should've bought tivo."

"So did you make it to the Champions' League too?" asked Brock.

"No," said Misty. "I lost to a real dark horse in the quaterfinals. His name's Lazarus, and he opened a Ghost-type gym in Lavender Town last year."

"Oh, yeah," said May, "that reminds me. Ash, your invitation for the Champions' League came in the mail a few days ago."

May handed Ash an official-looking letter. He opened it and read silently:

_Dear Mr. Ketchum,_

_Congratulations on qualifying for this year's Champions' League, held in Goldenrod City, Johto. As you probably know, this tournament is a qualification to challenge the reigning national Pokemon battling champion to a title match. The opening ceremony of the tournament will begin on November 19 in the city center._

_Let me remind you to preserve the dignity of this distinguished competition. Misconduct of any kind, including, but not limited to, excessive drunkenness, underage drinking or smoking, use of illegal substances by trainers or Pokemon, or unauthorized fighting involving trainers or Pokemon, will result in disciplinary action, up to and including disqualification from the tournament._

_Please confirm your participation no later than September 30. We are eager to hear your reply._

_Signed,_

_Charles Goodshow_

_President of the Pokemon League_

"Hey, mom," said Ash, "the League's gonna be held in Goldenrod City. That's not too far, so you wanna come?"

Mrs. Ketchum hesitated. "Okay," she said. "I wouldn't miss this big step for my son." She put a large plate of beef teryaki on the table, while her Mr. Mime, Mimey, carried a bowl of rice and a platter of cooked vegetables.

They all ate happily, still talking about the upcoming Champions' League. Misty even offered Ash her help with training his Pokemon and researching the competition, an offer which Ash gladly accepted. However, both Mrs. Ketchum and May seemed to be a little quiet while Ash and his original traveling companions chatted animatedly. After dinner, Mrs. Ketchum made made a bed for Brock on the couch (Misty and May were sharing the guest room, and Ash's room always tended to be messy when he was home). Then, Ash went upstairs to unpack, and Misty, Brock, and May also went to keep him company.

After everyone else had left, Mrs. Ketchum sighed. She was happy about Ash getting into the Champions' League, without a doubt. However, she did not want to go see Ash compete, and she had no excuse not to. This wasn't about Ash, it was about... someone else. When she and Ash traveled to Goldenrod City together, Mrs. Ketchum would probably have to tell her son the truth about... _him_. _Oh well_, she thought, _he has to find out sooner or later_. Trying not to think about Ash's reaction when she told him, she went to help Mimey finish cleaning the dishes.

* * *

Three hours later, Ash had worries of a different kind. He had been talking for a while with his friends, but since they were all planning to get up early to start training, they had all gone to bed. Ash, however, couldn't sleep. He was thinking about his team that he would use against Paul. Since adding Staraptor to this roster, this team was still one Pokemon short. He took out his list, and thought about each of his Pokemon who would be good candidates. Swellow and Gliscor were out of consideration, since Ash already had two Flying-types on his team. So was Buizel, since Ash had already revealed is surprise Ice Punch.

Ash thought long into the night, getting nowhere nearer choosing his sixth team member. The more Ash thought about possible choices, the crazier they sounded. Should he use Donphan? No, its Rollout and Hyper Beam were very risky attacks to use, and Paul could certainly come up with plenty ways to make it a hard battle for Ash. How about one of his many Tauros? No, their battle style was too strightforward; Ash remembered, with a shudder, the last time he had used a Tauros in a battle with a big rival. It had lost quickly (in only one hit!) to a Nidoqueen who had been able to exploit its simplistic battling.

Finally, at one thirty, Ash realized that choosing a sixth Pokemon that night was out of the question. He put his list away grudgingly, turned out the light, and climbed into bed.

* * *

The next morning, however, Ash showed no signs of either a lack of sleep or a preoccupation with beating Paul. He was up bright and early with his friends, talking about training as he ate a huge bowl of cereal. It was still early in the morning when he went to Professor Oak's lab with Misty, Brock, and May to start training his Pokemon.

Ash had been preparing for this extended training period long before, with the top priority being training all his Pokemon for the Champions' League. The point of holding all training in Professor Oak's lab was that Ash's Bulbasaur, who was needed to settle disputes, would not have to spend an extended period of time away from the lab.

Ash had also made calls to gather his Pokemon who were in other places to train with the rest. His Squirtle, a firefighter in a small town, had left its squad behind to return. His Gliscor, who had been in Sinnoh learning to exploit air currents in battling, had just recovered from its long flight back. Charizard, a key member of the anti-Paul team, had flown back from the Charicific Valley in Johto, where it had been training hard with other Charizard.

Yet there was another Pokemon of Ash's that he was having major trouble getting hold of. Ash had not seen his Primeape in nearly five years, having left it in training with a different trainer. This man, Anthony, had left Ash a phone number to call, but had apparently moved in Ash's absence. Ash followed lead after hopeless lead, trying to find some sign of Anthony and Primeape, but he could not find either of them. Professor Oak had graciously agreed to continue the search while Ash trained his other Pokemon, but Ash couldn't help wondering: would Primeape even _remember_ him?

In what seemed like no time at all, the four friends reached Professor Oak's lab. He knocked on the door, and Professor Oak answered. His face was almost youthful, but his gray hair gave away his true age: he was old enough to be Ash's grandfather. "Ah, hello!" he said. "I must say, I didn't expect such a crowd! Are you holding a social?"

"No, Professor, my friends just agreed to help me train," said Ash.

They all talked with Professor Oak for a few minutes, and another man appeared. This one was much younger, wearing a green t-shirt, shorts. He had dark hair that he held back with a sweat band. "Hey, guys!" he said. "Ready for your training yet? All your Pokemon are pumped for it!"

"Hey, Tracey!" said Ash. "Yeah, I'm really ready!"

Just then, a third person came into the room. This one was a boy of Ash's age, tall, with spiky brown hair. Like Professor Oak, he was wearing a white lab coat. "Hi, Ashy Boy!" he said. "And Misty and Brock, too!" He turned to May. "Wait a minute. Aren't you the top coordinator in Johto?"

"Hey, Gary!" said Ash. "Yeah, this is my friend May. We traveled together in Hoenn, and also when I was conquering the Battle Frontier. May, this is Gary. He was my rival when I first started my journey. He quit when I beat him in the Johto League," he added in a stage whisper.

"Hey, Ash," said Gary, pointing a finger but smiling slightly as everyone else laughed, "I'd made up my mind long before that! I could've _easily_ come back and beaten you in a rematch!"

"So Gary," said Brock, "what brings you back to Pallet Town? Weren't you doing research in Sinnoh?"

"Yeah, I was," said Gary. "But there's an opening for the Viridian City gym leader's job. I thought I'd apply, and get back into battling. While I've been here, I've been helping Gramps out," he said, indicating Professor Oak.

"They're changing gym leaders _again_?" said Misty in surprise. "The leader now was only there four months!"

"Good luck with that!" said Ash. "When do you find out?"

"Well, in a couple weeks, the gym coordinator's coming over for the interview. "Then, if I make the cut, I battle against him. The best performer beocmes the gym leader."

"Cool!" said Ash. "Hey, we better start training, unless... Professor, did you find Primeape yet?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," said Professor Oak. "Anthony actually lives in this area now, and he can bring Primeape over tomorrow."

"Yes!" exclaimed Ash. "Thanks for all your help, Professor. Hey guys, let's go train."

They were just out of the back door when Gary caught up with them. "Hey, Ash!" he said. "Mind if I help you?"

Ash grinned. "Sure!" he answered. "Come and join the fun!"

Ash's Pokemon were all in a large group, waiting for their trainer. He spent a few minutes catching up with them after his long absence, and allowing his Sinnoh Pokemon to mingle and get acquainted with the rest.

Finally, after two hours, he let his Pokemon know about his situation. "So, guys," he said, "for the next few weeks, we're gonna be training for the Champions' League," said Ash. "Most of you guys battled in a Pokemon League before. This league's gonna be much harder than the rest. If I win, I get to battle the national champion in a title match." His Pokemon all cheered; they were excited on getting to compete on such a high level. "Now, I'm gonna need all of you guys for the league. I promise that everyone here will get to battle. But I have a big rival who's competing too. I'll need a few of you to train a little extra every day, because this guy's tough. Everyone who was with me in Sinnoh, you know who I'm talking about. For the rest of you guys, he's a really, really strong trainer and he has some powerful Pokemon. I need a team that's just as strong so we can beat this guy. The five of you I know so far are Pikachu, Charizard, Snorlax, Sceptile, and Staraptor. Another one of you will be battling too, but I don't know which one to pick yet. All right, let's get training!" he finished, throwing a fist into the air.

His Pokemon cheered too. Almost all of them, that is. Unnoticed by the rest, Infernape slouched against a tree, feeling dejected. Why was Ash not including it on the team that could beat Paul? Infernape knew that it was the only one who wanted that win as much as Ash did himself; what was Ash thinking, ditching Infernape for that show-off Charizard? Ash called Infernape, who suddenly ran forward. Infernape would just have to upstage the rest of Ash's Pokemon, and force Ash to recognize its power.

* * *

The training session lasted until late in the evening. The whole day was spent practicing moves and conducting sparring matches. All the Pokemon were making good progress in their moves' power, but the rigorous training routine that Ash had set up left them all exhausted. By the time the sun was going down over the horizon, Buizel could be seen lying on its stomach by a stream. Staraptor was on a low tree branch nearby, leaning against the trunk. Donphan was on its back, too tired to curl up into a ball like it normally did. For warmth, they were all close to Charizard, who was slumped on the ground.

Ash and his friends, meanwhile, were inside. They were almost as tired as the Pokemon, but Ash, for one, had planned a longer training session than this. He had hoped that it would continue into the night, but his Pokemon were too tired to continue. Tired as he was, Ash couldn't stop pacing, anxious for more preparation.

"Hey Ash," said May, "what's the matter?"

"It seems like my Pokemon aren't in the best shape," Ash answered, staring out at the group huddled around Charizard. "How can I beat Paul if they keep getting tired like this?"

"Just keep training," said Brock. "The Champions' League is over a month away. Plus, you don't even know if you'll be battling Paul yet."

"Yeah," said Ash, "but still... I want to be as prepared as I can be."

"Ash," put in Gary, "it's your first time at the Champions' League too. I know you have to train, but you really shouldn't sweat it if you don't get that far."

Gary had said the wrong thing. "If you think I'm just gonna sit back and be happy with just qualifying only to get beaten in the first round, I don't need your help training!" he yelled.

"Sorry," said Gary, trying to repair the damage, "I was just trying to take some pressure off you."

"Ash," said Misty sharply, "yelling won't do any good. If you care so much about beating Paul, why don't you use the computer to look up some of his stats?"

"Misty," Ash began, "I already know Paul's battle style well enough―"

"Ash, she's right," interrupted May. "You can't really do any more training today, can you?"

"Okay," agreed Ash reluctantly. "Let's see what else I can find out about Paul."

Gary took out his computer, and logged onto the internet. On the official Pokemon League website, he looked up Paul. "Okay, Ash," he began, but Misty interrupted him.

"Hold on a second!"

Everyone looked at her. "Come on, Misty, this whole thing about looking up Paul's stats was your idea!" said Ash, now getting annoyed at her.

"I know," answered Misty, looking uncomfortable, "it's just, well, I saw this Paul guy before."

"No way!" May shouted.

"Where?" Brock asked.

"At the Cerulean Gym," said Misty in a quiet voice. "A few months before I started my journey, he battled against my sister, Violet. Violet used a Seaking and a Staryu. Paul only used a Grotle, and won the match big. After the battle, he told Violet, 'I can't believe such a loser can be a gym leader. I hope your sisters aren't this weak too.' All my sisters put on brave faces and laughed him off while they gave him his badge, but it hurt them so much, they lost their battling spirit. From that time on, they became a lot easier to beat, and a lot more willing to give badges away."

"So is that the real reason they eventually left the gym?" asked Brock.

"Yeah," said Misty. "They were just waiting for me to be strong enough to run the gym so they could hit the road and do shows."

"That has to be painful for them," said Gary. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost like that, and then got insulted by my opponent."

"And that's only part of the problem," continued Misty. "That Staryu that Paul beat, my sisters gave me as my starter. I begged my sisters to help it get over its fear of battling, so they gave me a Water Stone to evolve it. At the time, I thought they were just trying to shut me up. Starmie still loses confidence sometimes during battles."

"So Paul did all that to your family?" asked Ash.

"Yes," said Misty. "Now I know why you want to beat him so badly. Train like crazy and beat him for me, too!"

Ash lay awake in his bed that night much longer than he'd intended, thinking about Misty's story. Paul had beaten Violet so badly, and put all the girls down so hard that he'd killed their interest in battling, taking the reputation of the Cerulean Gym down in the process. This must also be the reason that Misty's sisters made fun of her so much; they must feel insecure after Violet's loss. After this new discovery, Ash wanted to win against Paul more than ever. But how could he beat Paul when he couldn't even put a power team together? _I'm gonna make this team work_, thought Ash doggedly. _Then I'll train them so hard, Paul won't know what hit him_.

* * *

By the end of the day, everyone was thinking so much about Paul that they failed to notice an all-too-familiar trio hiding behind a fence.

"So the twerps are actually back here," James said quietly to the other two. "That book sure comes in handy."

"Not only that, the twerps are having a little reunion," said Jessie. "The red-haired twerpette and the Hoenn-region twerpette are back."

"And did you get a look at all their Pokemon at the lab?" said Meowth. "The twerp must be gearing up for something big."

"They'll get something big, all right, but not what they expect," said Jessie. "We have all night to build a brand-new robot that can steal _all _their Pokemon."

With that, the three of them headed to the outskirts of the town to get to work.

* * *

Author's Note: Whew! I thought writing about battles was tough, but this chapter turned out a lot tougher to write. There's just so much information I had to put in, I wasn't sure I could do it. The scary part is that I was planning to put _more_ information into this chapter, but I eventually realized that it just wouldn't fit, so I'm splitting my planned Chapter 5 into two parts.

So the plot is really thickening! Mrs. Ketchum has a secret about... someone... that she's not telling Ash. Misty remembers seeing Paul. Gary and Misty are both helping Ash train. Team Rocket returns. And Infernape is seething over not being put on the anti-Paul team...

Will Ash be able to handle these new developments, or will the hard training and unforseen events take a toll on him? Keep reading to find out!


	6. Wait Watchers

Chapter 6: Wait Watchers

The next morning found Ash and his friends at Professor Oak's lab doing some early training. Anthony was bringing Primeape over at 11:30, and Ash wanted to give Primeape some time to get acquainted (and reacquainted) with the rest of his Pokemon. Still, Ash could not resist squeezing in several hours of training before that. He wanted to beat Paul even more since he'd heard Misty's scoop on him the night before, and he didn't want to waste any time preparing for his rematch, so Ash and his friends were all directing different Pokemon in various exercises. Ash was teaching Charizard a spinning Steel Wing technique, designed to defend itself against its greatest weakness, Rock-type attacks. May and her Venusaur were teaching Donphan how to aim its Hyper Beam with pinpoint accuracy. Brock was putting Staraptor through its paces, sending it through an obstacle course of his own design and timing it with a stopwatch all the way. Misty was directing Buizel to use Aqua Jet to get through a large, twisted pipe, always trying to avoid the sides. Gary, who had his own Pokemon to train, was absent, but he had promised to come around and help Ash whenever he was giving his own Pokemon a break.

"Hey Ash," called Brock, "Staraptor's getting a little tired. And it's 11:00 now, so Anthony and Primeape should be here soon."

"Okay," said Ash reluctantly. "Hey, everybody!" he yelled to all his Pokemon. "It's quitting time! But don't get too used to quitting this early, 'cause we have a new friend coming today!"

One by one, Ash's Pokemon gathered by him. Pikachu, who had been sparring against Torterra, came over more slowly than usual and flopped down on the grass. Torterra itself plodded over behind its partner, and the exhausted Staraptor landed on its back. Buizel strutted over to its friends, looking as proud as ever but somewhat winded. And Charizard, dizzy from its training, landed precariously, earning a nervous glance from everyone as it almost fell over onto Bayleef and Heracross.

"Okay, everyone, you guys did an awesome job today! If you keep this up, we'll win the Champions' League with no sweat. I just need to point out a few things with some of you before Primeape comes."

Ash walked over to Swellow, who was perched on Torterra's back next to Staraptor and standing on one leg. "Swellow?" The bird Pokemon instantly dropped its other leg and opened its eyes. "I was watching your Aerial Ace, and it always comes from the same direction. Come form another corner next time, mix things up, okay?" Swellow nodded, and Ash walked over to Corphish, who was resting with its claws over its head.

"Hey, Corphish? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Corphish, with a great effort, pushed itself upright. "You should try to save your energy a little more. Those Crabhammer and Bubblebeam attacks are really tough, but if you overdo them like that in a battle, you might be too tired to defend yourself when you need to. So can you cool it a little?" Corphish smiled and raised its claw.

"Alright... now, Infernape? Infernape? Where are you, Infernape?" Ash looked around wildly. He finally saw Infernape coming out of a clump of trees, looking barely able to stand up. Apparently, the Fire-type had been trying to sneak in a couple minutes more training while Ash was making some of his observations. "Hey buddy," said Ash, jogging over, "what's up? I was watching your target practice earlier, and your attacks aren't hitting as much as usual. I know you can do better than―did you see that, Infernape?"

Infernape looked to where its trainer was pointing. Ash could have sworn that he saw a pair of white eyes peering out at him from the trees. Suddenly, Infernape tensed up. It saw the eyes as well. In addition, it saw that the eyes were significantly higher than Ash's head, and the creature to whom they belonged was enormous.

"Whatever's hiding in the trees, we see you!" called Ash. "You can come on out, or go away and leave us alone!" The figure stepped out of the grove. It was indeed taller than Ash, and it was a ferocious-looking Pokemon. It had a muscular, dull green body with a diamond-shaped patch of black on its underside. Its back was lined with spikes, while its limbs all had sharp claws. Ash gasped in shock while Infernape raised its fists, ready for a fight.

However, as Ash looked closely at his would-be attacker, he saw that Tyranitar was showing no signs of wanting to fight. Its massive arms were not raised, but hanging at its sides. It was also looking at Ash as though it knew him. "Did we meet before?" Ash asked himself.

Suddenly, Ash realized who this Tyranitar was. Ash, Misty, and Brock had hatched a Larvitar from an egg when they were all traveling in Johto. It had been traumatized from its experiences as an egg, and for a long time, it had been too afraid of humans to let anyone except Ash near it. Together, they had helped Larvitar move past its fears, and had reunited it with its mother an Mt. Silver. This Tyranitar must have evoled from that same Larvitar.

"Hey, pal," said Ash, breaking into a smile. "How've you been? Long time no see." Tyranitar responded by pulling Ash into a tight bear hug, emitting a soft, happy growl. "Hey, Tyranitar, you want to meet the rest of the gang?" Ash said when Tyranitar finally let him down. "Come on over here. You're gonna remember some of them from our journey together, but you're gonna meet some new ones too―"

Without warning, Infernape threw a Mach Punch at Tyranitar that missed it by inches. Tyranitar stiffened up in response, raising a massive fist that was now crackling with electricity. "What?" yelled Ash, turning around at the noise. "Hey, guys, why are you going to fight each other? Break it up!"

"No! Ash!" yelled Misty. She and May, who had been walking over to see Ash with Tyranitar, started running when Tyranitar and Infernape got ready for a battle.

The two Pokemon were still squaring off, ignoring Ash, Misty, and May. However, when they were both about to make their attacks, Pikachu and Totodile jumped in front of Tyranitar, begging it not to attack, while Kingler grabbed Infernape's wrists with its mismatched claws.

"Tyranitar, cool it!" said Ash, seizing his chance to smooth things over. "Nothing's gonna happen now, so you don't have to be so edgy! Infernape, what's with you? Why did you just attack Tyranitar like that? It wasn't going to hurt either of us!"

"Hey, guys," said May into the awkward silence that followed, "let's eat. Brock's making a snack for us before Primeape gets here. We can forget all about this fight and just...eat."

"Sound's good!" said Misty.

"Yeah, it does!" agreed Ash. "Let's eat, everyone. And Tyranitar, Infernape, maybe you guys shouldn't sit next to each other."

* * *

Half an hour later, everyone had finished the snacks Brock had made. Ash and his human friends were giving Brock the usual compliments over his miso soup, and talking about how best to train the next day. Tyranitar was stretched out on the grass, catching up with Donphan, Bayleef, and Quilava. Infernape was on the other side of the field, sitting next to Torterra and shooting suspicious looks at Tyranitar. Noctowl, Swellow, and Staraptor were all showing off their speed by circling around an annoyed Charizard, pecking playfully and then swooping away before Charizard turned its jaws on them.

Suddenly, a car pulled up in the nearby driveway. "That must be Anthony!" exclaimed Ash, jumping up and running towards the front of the lab. "I can't wait to see Primeape again!" Everyone had aniticipated Primeape's arrival, and their reactions were immediate. Misty, May, and Brock ran after Ash. Tyranitar sat up, while Infernape finally tore its gaze from the former to look at where Ash was going. Charizard finally caught up with Swellow, who was hanging stationary in the air, staring after Ash.

Ash and his friends ran to the driveway, and saw Anthony getting out of a snazzy sports car. "Hi, Anthony!" called Ash. "It's been forever!"

"Hello!" said said.

"How are you?" said Brock.

"Hi, kids, good to see all of you!" said Anthony. He was an extremely broad man with the build of a boxer, and short, dark hair with a cow lick on the left. "And you're friends with these three?" he said to May. "I'm Anthony, good to meet you." He held out a hand.

"Hello, Anthony, I'm May," said May, shaking Anthony's hand. "Yeah, I'm friends with Ash and the others."

"Okay," said Anthony, getting down to business, "here's Primeape's Pokeball. You want me to let him out here?"

"Hmm," said Ash. "No. I think I'll let him out in front of my other Pokemon. They're in the back, right over there." He led Anthony to his Pokemon, with his friends right behind him. When Anthony gave him Primeape's Pokeball, Ash threw it into the air and called, "Primeape, come on out!"

Primeape appeared in a burst of white light. It was short, with powerful-looking arms and legs, but it otherwise looked like an extremely fluffy monkey. As soon as it saw Ash, its eyes narrowed, and Ash was surprised to see a look of fury on its face. "What' wrong, Primeape?" he asked his Pokemon. Primeape punched him in answer, giving him a black eye and leaving him sprawled on the ground. Then, its eyes filled with tears, it ran to the edge of the nearby grove and sat down facing a tree.

"Hey, Primeape!" shouted Anthony, as Brock, Misty, and May gasped in shock. "Primeape, it's Ash! Your trainer! You missed him!" Primeape didn't move. "Primeape!" The Pokemon still ignored him. Anthony shrugged his massive shoulders. "Well, I don't know what else to do," he said. "I'm sure you'll work things out with Primeape, Ash. I need to get back to my training."

"Okay," said Ash, getting up. "It was great seeing you again. Thanks for bringing Primeape back." Once everyone else had said their goodbyes, Anthony walked around to his car and drove off.

* * *

There was nothing Ash could do to get Primeape to stop sulking. He pleaded and begged for a long time, but Primeape still sat on the ground with its back turned. Pikachu and Bulbasaur even came over to talk, but although Primeape was glad to catch up with its old friends, it would still not speak to Ash. Even with Infernape, who had finally set aside its mysterious fight with Tyranitar, came over to try drawing Primeape into catching up with Ash. However, nothing could get Primeape to train or reconcile with Ash, over even let him know what was wrong. Finally, Ash gave up, and walked across the field to sit with Misty, May, and Brock.

"I don't know what's wrong with Primeape," said Ash as he sat down. "It won't talk to me at all. I was excited for Primeape to come back, and I thought Primeape would be excited too, but I can't even get through to it."

"I'm sure Primeape will warm up," assured Misty. "You remember the P1 Grand Prix, right? When you got Primeape's respect by showing how you cared about it? Just keep showing that kind of care, and Primeape will respect you more."

"But if that happened a long time ago," said May, "why's Primeape in a funk _now_?"

"Hmmm..." said Brock, his hand on his chin. He looked at Primeape, taking a long think. Then he looked around at Ash's other Pokemon, and then at Ash himself. "Ash, remember that promise you made to Primeape when you left it with Anthony?"

"Yeah," said Ash slowly, "I told Primeape that I'd come back for it...and I did, right?" he asked, unsure of what Brock was saying.

"But Primeape was with Anthony for five whole years," continued Brock. "You promised that you'd come back for Primeape, but you made it wait for those five years. That's much longer than you even trained Primeape before that. And Primeape must have felt abandoned, like you just forgot about it for all that time. So now that it's back here with you after such a long time away, Primeape must feel like you're using it for your own purposes."

"But I'm not!" said Ash defensively. "I just think it would be good for Primeape to have some experience in the Champions' League, that's all!"

"I know you're not using Primeape," agreed Brock. "But I'm just trying to tell you how it seems from Primeape's perspective. And speaking of the Champions' League, the fact that it's coming up doesn't help your cause. It gives you a reason for using Primeape."

Ash thought for a second. As much as he didn't want to believe what Brock was saying, it all made sense. Primeape was sulking because it felt both abandoned and exploited, and it wasn't so ready to be trained by a supposedly abusive trainer. "But how do I show Primeape that I'm not using it, and that I'm really glad to have it back?" he asked.

"It's gonna take time," answered Brock. "There's no easy solution for this. Friendships take a long time to build, and you need to completely rebuild yours with Primeape from the ground―AHHH!" Brock felt something huge behind him, but it was only Tyranitar brushing against him. "Oh, sorry Tyranitar, I didn't see you," said Brock as Ash, Misty, and May laughed.

"Hey, Tyranitar, want to join us?" offered Ash.

Tyranitar, however, didn't sit down or stand beside them. It turned around, beckoning with its clawed hand for them to follow.

"Want to see what Tyranitar's up to?" said Misty, puzzled.

"Sure," replied the other three together.

Tyranitar led them to a rocky outcrop, which they all recognized as the place they used to simulate mountains in their training. When they got close, Tyranitar held out its arm for them to stop. Then, walking up to the outcrop, it used a Rock Slide to bring a chunk of rock down from near the top. "Tyranitar, no!" shouted Ash, but Tyranitar ignored him, staring intently at the rock that was splintering into pieces as it bounced down the outcrop. Suddenly, when the attack was about to come down, Tyranitar started pummeling the larger pieces with Thunderpunches. It hit every single large piece of rock.

"Wow!" said Ash. "That was some show!"

"Yeah!" agreed May. "You'd be really good in contests, Tyranitar!"

Tyranitar smiled at the compliment, then came over to stand in front of Ash. It then started making strange movements with its arms. "Tyranitar, what...what are you trying to trying to tell me?" asked Ash as it pumped both its fists in the air.

"It looks like it's lifting weights," said Brock.

"So that means...you're saying you want to train with us, right?" guessed Misty. Tyranitar nodded its head vigorously.

"Sure!" said Ash. "If you want to train with us, feel free!"

Tyranitar kept gesturing, though. This time, it was shifting its feet, throwing its fists at an invisible opponent.

"Boxing..."muttered Ash, watching Tyranitar. "Oh, I get it! You want to compete in the Champions' League?" Tyranitar nodded enthusiastically, and waited for Ash's answer. "I'm sorry, Tyranitar," he said, "but all of us here have some experience battling against other trainers. I don't think you'll be able to handle it yet. Don't get me wrong," he continued quickly as Tyranitar looked disappointed, "you were great with those attacks. But I think you should have some more practice battling before you fight in such a strong tournament." Tyranitar was still disappointed, but nodded nonetheless. "Don't worry," assured Ash. "You're gonna get your moment someday. And in the meantime, we're still friends. We'll always be friends."

Suddenly, a loud, metallic rumble filled the air, followed by what felt like a small earthquake and the screaming voices of four Pokemon.

"Oh, no!" shouted Ash. "Let's go back, the others are in trouble!" The five of them ran back to where the other Pokemon were gathered, and what they saw made them gasp in horror. A giant robot, at least three times as all as the trees, stood in front of the grove where Tyranitar had appeared. It had a slender neck topped by a round head with three spikes, looking like a Pokemon Ash recognized as a Togetic. The bottom part, however, looked nothing like any part of a Togetic, however. It was surrounded by a jumble of what looked like vines that were designed to hold struggling Pokemon. And in fact, Pikachu, Infernape, Primeape, and Bulbasaur were trapped in different vines.

"NO!" yelled Ash. "Who's doing all this?"

In response, three all-too-familiar voices sounded, magnified by a built-in loudspeaker.

_Is that a twerpish voice I hear?_

_It's speaking to me loud and clear._

_On the wind!_

_Past the stars!_

_In your ear!_

_Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace._

_Dashing all hope, putting fear in its place._

_A rose by any other name is just as sweet._

_When everything's worse, our work is complete._

_Jessie!_

_James!_

_Meowth, _that's _a name!_

_Putting the do-gooders in their place!_

_We're Team Rocket!_

_And we're in your face!_

"Not you guys again!" yelled Ash. "Give me back my Pokemon!"

"And why should we do that?" said a taunting female voice that Ash recognized as belonging to Jessie.

"You twerps are the ones with something to prove," said James.

"You jerks don't know when to quit!" Ash yelled. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Ash, no!" yelled Misty, Brock, and May at the same time, but they were too late. Pikachu launched its attack, which left the machine unharmed while shocking Ash's other three Pokemon.

"Pikachu, stop!" yelled Ash, quickly realizing his mistake.

"You twerps didn't really think we'd allow an electric attack to damage our prize robot after chasing you for so long, did you?" taunted Jessie.

"Charizard, Snorlax, come here, I need you!" called Ash. The two powerful Pokemon lined up in front of him, ready to battle Team Rocket.

"I'll help!" said May. She threw one of her Pokeballs. "I choose Blaziken!" May's most powerful Pokemon came out, a tall, slender, red Pokemon with a tan upper body and yellow shins. It looked like a giant chicken.

"Go, Gyarados!" called Misty as she threw one of her own Pokeballs. Her Pokemon, long, blue, and snakelike, with four fins on its back, another one on its tail, and a fearsome face, lined up beside the others.

"Go, Croagunk!" yelled Brock, releasing his own Pokemon.

"So you're trying to battle us, just like I thought you would!" said Jessie. "Go ahead, I dare you!"

The four trainers accepted her invitation, and immediately gave out orders to their Pokemon.

"Charizard, rescue Pikachu and the others from that machine! Snorlax, you use Body Slam on it!"

"Blaziken, jump in there and rip those ropes apart!"

"Gyarados, get the ropes off the other Pokemon!"

"Croagunk, get in there and free Ash's Pokemon!"

"So you're taking the bait!" said James as the five Pokemon rushed toward them. "Hit it, Meowth!"

"You got it!" said Meowth from the driver's seat as he pressed a button. All at once, the vinelike tendrils started to move against the rushing Pokemon. Snorlax, trying to throw its whole body against the machine, was the first to be trapped. Next was Charizard, who got its wings stopped in mid-flap by two vines, and was caught by a third one. Gyarados, protected for a while by its long, limbless body, was finally trapped by three vines after ripping out some more. Blaziken put up a courageous fight, attacking any vine that came close to it, but it was eventually trapped by the sheer number of the vines.

Only Croagunk seemed too quick for the long tendrils. It dodged most of them, while throwing a Brick Break at the occasional one it could not avoid. Brock, however, knew that Croagunk could not keep this up while also freeing the other Pokemon. Plus, with all its running and jumping, it was only a matter of time before Croagunk got tired. "Move in for the attack, Croagunk!" ordered Brock. "Try to get closer to another Pokemon!" Croagunk complied, not even trying to dodge anymore but savagely attacking any vine that came its way. Eventually, however, a fresh vine came from behind and wrapped itself around Brock's Pokemon, pinning its arms to its sides. "No! Croagunk!" yelled Brock.

"Okay," said Meowth to Jessie and James, "now that we got the best of the twerps' Pokemon, I say let's get out of here."

"You know," said Jessie, "for once I agree with you."

"No need to we greedy, with all the Pokemon we already stole," agreed James.

"Then that's settled," said Meowth triumphantly. It pushed another button on the machine, and rocket boosters under the machine roared to life. When it was far above the trees, it started to move slowly north.

"I'm going after them," said Ash. "They're not moving too fast. I can catch them." He called to three of his Pokemon, "Heracross, Swellow, Sceptile, come here!" The Pokemon rushed over to stand in front of him. "Okay, we need a strategy to stop Team Rocket," he said. "Heracross, can you carry me?" Heracross nodded. "Okay, here's the plan. Heracross, you carry me, and we'll try to get past those vines. Sceptile, cover us from below, and Swellow, cover us from above. Then, Heracross, you try to punch a hole in the robot. Once that's done, you fly in, Swellow, and get in to distract Team Rocket. While you're doing that, the rest of us will free the others. Got that?" His three Pokemon nodded.

* * *

In the custom-built robot, Jessie, James, and Meowth were gloating over their success. "Finally," said Jessie, "we caught not only Pikachu, but a passel of prize Pokemon! And we can even deliver them to the boss in person!"

"We're finally getting our promotions!" exclaimed James.

"This day _had_ to come sooner or later, and we stuck to the task!" said Meowth.

Just then, however, they heard a thunk coming from well below them that had nothing to do with the struggling Pokemon. "What?" yelled Jessie in surprise. She checked a security camera, seeing Ash and Heracross clinging to the robot's back. "Twerps on the hull! Get them off there, Meowth!"

"My pleasure!" yelled the catlike Pokemon. Suddenly, the vines started moving wildly again.

"Uh-oh!" said Ash. "They know we're here! Sceptile, Swellow, hold off those vines! Heracross, Focus Punch on the machine!" As the other two Pokemon fought off what few vines remained, Heracross delivered a devastating punch to the robot's side, which strained the material enormously.

"Hey, hands off our machine!" yelled Meowth. "We pulled an all-nighter putting this thing together!"

"You wish!" screamed Ash. "Heracross, Megahorn right where you landed that Focus Punch!" Heracross delivered another devastating attack to the machine's side, which gave out, leaving a hole big enough for a good-sized Pokemon to use. "Okay, Swellow," called Ash, "you know what to do!" Swellow flew towards the hole, and Ash saw a lone tendril heading straight for it! "Sceptile," he yelled desperately, "stop that vine with a Bullet Seed!" It was not a strong attack, but it was enough. Swellow avoided the vine and swooped into the hole. "Okay," he said to Heracross and Sceptile, we should get the Fighting-types out first. Then, they can help us free everyone else." The two Pokemon nodded in agreement, and while Sceptile went over to Blaziken and Heracross reached Infernape, Ash ran to Primeape.

Primeape thrashed around as Ash approached, struggling to break free of the vines. "I'm here, Primeape!" yelled Ash. "Let me help you get those vines off!" But Primeape screamed as though it didn't like the idea at all. Ash came over anyway and started pulling with all his might on two vines. "I'm sorry about...leaving...you...for so long," panted Ash between pulls. "I should've...come back...for you...sooner...I hope...you can...forgive me."

Primeape stared at its trainer. It was still angry at Ash for his five-year absence, but Ash, it remembered, had always meant what he said. It raised its arms and renewed its effort on the vines, without anger but with utmost determination. However, Primeape was held so tightly that everyone else was free by the time all the vines were off it.

"Yes!" yelled Ash. "We did it!" No sooner did he say that, however, than the robot, started plummeting. "Come on, guys!" he yelled. "Get off this thing before it hits the ground!" All the other Pokemon jumped, but Primeape looked too afraid of the height involved. "Come on!" Ash grabbed Primeape's wrist, pulling it, towards the edge. They reached it just in time, and jumped to safety just before the robot touched down with an earsplitting crash.

"You twerps will pay for what you did to our robot!" yelled Jessie from the inside.

"Not on your life!" Ash shot back. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Charizard, Overheat! Sceptile, Leaf Storm! And Snorlax, Hyper Beam!"

The four Pokemon launched their attacks, which all hit the robot. It exploded in a spectacular fireball, ejecting Jessie, James, and Meowth from the top. Ash just caught their yells of "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" before they disappeared.

"Primeape," said Ash, "I know I just said this to you before, but I'm really sorry I didn't look for you for so long. I guess I just got caught up in whatever moment I was at in my journey, and I didn't take the time to look for old friends." Primeape hugged him, with Ash took as a clear acceptance to his apology. "Thanks, buddy," he said. "Welcome back!"

Everyone turned to leave, eager to get back for a hot meal. "Hey, Heracross?" asked Ash. All his Pokemon looked at him. "Heracross, you really did great out there. How would like the last spot in the battle against Paul?" Heracross raised its arms joyously, and Ash looked around at the jealous faces of his other Pokemon. "Hey, you guys were great too," he said. "Don't worry, even if you won't be battling against Paul, you _will _still get a battle. I promise. Now what do you guys say we get some grub?"

All the Pokemon cheered. His words had pepped up all of his Pokemon, except for a thin, monkey-like Pokemon slouching at the back of the group...

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait for this post. Between my job search, writer's block, and the fact that this chapter was much longer than I'd planned, it took me a long time to get it done. The next few chapters will come up much faster, since I already have a good idea of what they will be like. Speaking of which, the next chapter will contain an important battle. It will be big, but not epic. You'll see what I mean.**

**Also, special thanks to Spartan20, who suggested that Ash should find and train a Riolu in Pallet Town. I thought about this, but having Ash's Larvitar return as a Tyranitar seemed to work better.**

**Finally, I've decided to allow anonymous reviewers to post on this story. I was wary about flamers at first, but I really need more reviews.**

**Stay tuned for the next post! It will be much faster than this one, I promise!**


	7. Living Legends

Chapter 7: Living Legends

In the two weeks after Ash had regained Primeape's trust and chose Heracross for his power team, he trained his Pokemon intensively. The successes on both of those fronts seemed to enhance his zeal to do as well as he could in the Champions' League. His training sessions, working with his Pokemon with Misty, May, Brock, and occasionally Gary, started at seven o'clock every morning, and often continued for twelve or thirteen hours.

Tyranitar came by the lab often to practice with Ash's Pokemon. Since Ash mainly wanted to train his own Pokemon, this usually took the form of a sparring match between Tyranitar and one of Ash's Pokemon. With all factors considered, Staraptor was the best sparring partner for Tyranitar, with the latter's power and type advantage and the former's strong moves and speed making for an interesting match every time.

Infernape, meanwhile, seemed intent on holding its mysterious grudge against Tyranitar. Ash always carefully avoided having them spar together, but Infernape's displeasure at having Tyranitar around was apparent. Without having a battle to beat Tyranitar, however, Infernape had no outlet for its hostile feelings, so it had to content itself with training even harder than before, which was saying something.

During the training, a pattern began to present itself. It seemed that whenever Ash or Misty trained a Pokemon, it would always be more exhausted at the end of the day than a Pokemon trained by Brock, May, or Gary. Ash was unconcerned about this trend, but the same could not be said for Misty and May, who argued about it one morning in Ash's house.

"Why are you always pushing the Pokemon so hard?" May was demanding of Misty.

"What?" said Misty. "I'm just training them, what's the big deal? And anyway, those Pokemon you're talking about are _Ash's _Pokemon, and Ash also trains his Pokemon really hard!"

"I know, that's what's bothering me more than anything!" said May. "For your information, I have a really bad feeling about what Ash is up to with all this hard training! It's like he cares more about winning than anything else!"

"Well, why don't you take it up with Ash? If he's the one you're so worried about, why are you yelling at _me_?"

"Because you know how stubborn Ash is! If he has even one of his good friends is behind him on something, he won't give an inch! I need you to help me wake Ash up!"

"_Wake Ash up_? Wake him up from _what_? I don't blame him one bit for wanting to beat that Paul kid! He's a stuck-up jerk, I saw him when he beat my sisters and made them not want to battle anymore!"

"So _that's _what it's about for you! You know very well that my dad lost against Paul too, that's what gym battles are all about!"

"Did Paul act like your dad was weak because he lost? No? I didn't think so. But not all gym leaders are _famous_ like your dad, and my sisters never made it to the Champions' League!"

Just then, Ash came down the stairs, all ready for another long day of training. He had heard the two girls yelling, but had missed the subject of their argument. "Hey, Misty, May, what's with all the fighting?"

Nobody answered him. May was still not ready to tell Ash her fears about his training, not when Misty would back him up. Misty, who approved of Ash's training, didn't want to be the one to rain on Ash's day as a trainer.

Brock diffused this very awkward moment when he came in from the kitchen, having finished washing the breakfast dishes. "Hey, guys!" he said, not having heard a word of the argument. "I'm ready! Let's head over the Professor Oak's!"

The other three quickly agreed.

* * *

Ash knocked on the door to the lab, and was quickly met by Gary. "Hey, Gary!" he said. "Want to help us—" Ash stopped, taking in Gary's peculiar appearance. Gary had dispensed with his usual t-shirt, cargo pants, and lab coat. Instead, he was wearing an immaculate black suit with a white shirt and maroon tie. "Whoa, Gary, what's with the fancy clothes?"

"Didn't I tell you enough, Ashy-boy?" said Gary half-tauntingly. "The gym supervisor is coming over for my interview today."

Suddenly, it all came back to Ash and his friends. However, there was something weird about this situation, which Brock noticed first. "Gary, why aren't you going to Viridian City for the interview, especially with how close it is?"

"Beats me," answered Gary, shrugging. "He just said he had some business in Pallet Town anyway, so he'd save me the trip."

"Well, good luck!" said Misty.

"Yeah, hope it goes good!" exclaimed Ash. "We have another big day of training ahead, so we've gotta run."

"Oh, yeah, guys, one more thing before you go," called Gary as Ash, Misty, Brock, and May were about to walk through the back door. "I'm gonna take the gym supervisor on a tour so he can see all of my Ground-type Pokemon, so be careful where your Pokemon's attacks go."

"Sure thing!" said Ash. "See you later!"

* * *

Four hours later, the four friends were training Ash's Pokemon as hard as ever. Since they wanted to take care not to hit Gary or the gym supervisor when they came out, they had all decided on accuracy training. At the moment, Ash was throwing rocks for Pikachu to hit with well-placed Thunderbolts. "Okay, Pikachu!" he called. "Here's the next volley!" Ash hurled all the rocks in slightly different directions and in rapid succession, seeing how Pikachu would handle such a challenge. Pikachu tried with all its might, firing Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt, but only managed to hit about half the rocks. After Ash had run out of rocks to throw, Pikachu dropped to the ground in exhaustion. "Hey, Pikachu," he called, "I know this seems a little too much for you, but we need to get your accuracy up if we want to go far in the Champions' League!"

Suddenly, he heard the sound of the back door opening, and saw two figures walking out. One was Gary, who had put on a lab coat over his suit. Ash, however, was looking at the man beside his former rival. He was a tall man of about thirty-five or forty, with short, dark hair, and he was wearing a suit that was even nicer than Gary's. Ash's jaw dropped. This must be a dream. He recognized this man. Ash was even more surprised, though, when the tall man addressed him. "You're Ash Ketchum, correct?" He walked over to Ash, and held out a hand for him to shake. "I'm Roger, supervisor of Pokemon gyms in Kanto."

Ash shook his hand. "Nice to meet you!" he said enthusiastically. "I grew up watching you on TV." It was true. Roger was an extremely famous trainer, who had been a national champion in his day. However, he had lost his title to Lucian from the Sinnoh Elite Four eight years previously, and had retired from battling thereafter. Ash had followed his battles closely as a young boy, and this had only fed Ash's own desire to become a Pokemon master. "But how do you know who I am?"

"I saw your battle with Paul in the Sinnoh League. I was really hoping I'd run into you here, Ash."

"But why? I'm not interested in being a gym leader."

Roger paused. "Because Paul was a student of mine a long time ago." Smiling at Ash's look of surprise, he continued, "Paul found me when he was a new trainer, and begged me to teach him what I knew. I did, as I had never seen such determination from a ten-year-old."

"I still don't get why you want to talk to _me_."

"Because Paul has been neglecting some important points of training and battling with Pokemon. I have been in contact with Paul in all the time he has traveled, and I have followed his battles closely. Though he does many things right in his training methods and battle strategy, his recent successes have made him arrogant, and he has been neglecting some of my key lessons."

"Okay?"

"I was hoping you'd help Paul see the error of his ways."

"Me?" Ash was shocked. "Believe me, I've been trying to beat Paul forever, but...you saw our last match. I lost to Paul _again_. I'm training really hard right now so I beat Paul in the Champions' League."

Roger thought for a second. "Tell you what," he said. "When Gary's finished showing me his Pokemon, I'll have some of my Pokemon transferred here, and then we can battle. Then, I can see what you've got."

"Deal!" said Ash. "And please don't go easy on me."

Roger laughed. "Of course not, Ash. So please use the Pokemon you plan to use against Paul. I'll be using my power team, too."

"Okay!" exclaimed Ash. "When you come back, we'll be ready!"

"I'm looking forward to it," said Roger. "Okay, Gary, can you show me your Ground-types?"

"Sure, Roger," said Gary. "I'll be back for your match, Ash!" he called back.

"Alright!" said Ash. When Gary and Roger were out of sight, Ash started calling the Pokemon for his anti-Paul team. When Snorlax, the last one, was in front of him, he told them, "Okay, guys, we have a training match coming up. It's gonna be really tough, so you guys should rest a little before our opponent gets here. Let's show our new strength!" His Pokemon all cheered, and Ash returned all of them (except Pikachu) to their Pokeballs. After taking a deep breath, he decided to work off his nerves by taking a walk.

* * *

An hour later, Ash was standing opposite Roger on a practice battlefield. Brock was refereeing, while Gary, May, and Misty were all watching, as were all of Ash's Pokemon that were not taking part in the match. Most of them were cheering, but Infernape was looking particularly on edge; it really wanted to see Charizard go down in this match.

"This will be a full six-on-six battle between Ash and Roger!" announced Brock. "The match will continue until all six of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue, with no time limit! Either trainer may substitute Pokemon at will! Roger will select his Pokemon first!"

Roger took a Pokeball from his belt. "Okay, Ash, it's time for you to show your stuff!" he called across the battlefield. "Keep in mind that all my Pokemon are still in top shape!" He threw his Pokeball, shouting, "Let's go, Typhlosion!" A large Pokemon emerged, standing on its hind legs. It had a black back and a tan underside, and its shoulders were sheathed in flames.

"Wow, I remember that Typhlosion from Roger's TV battles," muttered Ash to himself. He thought about which Pokemon to use, since he had no Pokemon with a type advantage on this team. For starters, though, he was planning to use a fast Pokemon to dodge Typhlosion's power attacks. That ruled out Snorlax. Heracross and Sceptile were both weak against fire attacks, while Ash needed Pikachu and Charizard for later. This left only one choice. "Staraptor," said Ash, throwing a Pokeball, "I choose you!" Staraptor came out, flapping its wings and staring down Typhlosion.

"Ash, I'll let you have the first attack!" called Roger.

"Okay, Staraptor, Quick Attack!" ordered Ash. Staraptor streaked down towards Typhlosion, hitting it in the chest and causing it to stumble.

"Typhlosion, Fire Blast!" called Roger. As Staraptor flew away, its opponent sent a powerful attack right toward it.

_What?_ thought Ash. _That kind of attack's really easy to dodge, so why's he using it? _ "Dodge it, Staraptor, then use Aerial Ace!" he told his Pokemon confidently.

However, Staraptor was just looping around Typhlosion's attack when Roger yelled, "Rock Tomb!" Typhlosion, who had been running behind the Fire Blast, suddenly pinned Staraptor to the ground, and trapped it between two pillars of rock.

"Use Close Combat to break free, Staraptor!" shouted Ash desperately. Staraptor struggled, starting to break the rocks apart with its legs and wings.

"Hold it, Typhlosion!" called Roger. "Just stay ready to attack!"

Finally, Staraptor smashed its way out of the Rock Tomb. "Yes!" cheered Ash. "Now go in for Aerial Ace!"

But Roger yelled, "Use Flamethrower, Typhlosion!" Typhlosion sent flames out of its mouth, which hit Staraptor, sending it crashing into the pile of rubble from the Rock Tomb. "Now use Fire Blast!" Roger called. His Pokemon sent a new Fire Blast at Typhlosion, which smashed into it, knocking it backwards. It fell down, limp and unmoving, at Ash's feet.

"Staraptor is unable to battle!" announced Brock, holding up the hand closer to Roger. "Typhlosion is the winner!"

Ash, stunned at how quickly Staraptor had gone down, called his Pokemon back. After giving Staraptor a quick word of thanks, Ash turned to Pikachu. "Okay, Pikachu, you're up," he said. Pikachu ran onto the field to face its much larger opponent.

Roger returned Typhlosion to its Pokeball and said to Ash, "So you're using Pikachu? Let's make this an Electric-type battle!" He threw antoher Pokeball. "Let's go, Zapdos!" A large yellow bird came out, its wings and its whole body covered in spikes.

Ash almost fell over from shock. He'd never known that Roger had a Zapdos! Ash had seen this legendary Pokemon on more than one occasion, and he knew that it was a fierce opponent. "This is gonna be tough, but we're not going down without a fight!" shouted Ash. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu sent a burst of electricity right at Zapdos, which, honed by its accuracy training, headed right for its mark.

"Use Light Screen, Zapdos!" commanded Roger. Zapdos shielded itself with a curtain of light, which all but stopped Pikachu's attack. "Now use Ancientpower!" Zapdos formed series of rocks in midair, which it sent flying at Pikachu.

"Dodge that attack, Pikachu!" called Ash. "Use Iron Tail if you can't!" Pikachu dodged the rocks as they hit the ground. Ash's Pokemon was so fast that it dodged most of them, only using an Iron Tail on the very last one. "Now, Pikachu, use Iron Tail directly on Zapdos!" ordered Ash. Pikachu jumped upwards, flipping over as it did, and brought its tail down hard on Zapdos' wing. Zapdos, however, seemed to have barely felt it.

"Use Thunder point-blank!" yelled Roger. His Pokemon flew down after Pikachu, which was trying to make a soft landing, and blasted it with a powerful wave of electricity. Although it had relatively little effect directly, it caused Pikachu to lose its footing as it landed, falling facedown.

"Pikachu, get up and use Volt Tackle!" shouted Ash. Pikachu summoned its strength, barreling toward Zapdos again, this time with its body crackling with electrical power.

"Use Ancientpower again!" shouted Roger. Zapdos threw more of its rocks at Pikachu, who was moving too fast to change direction. One of them scored a direct hit, knocking Pikachu right back down. "Now, end this with Giga Impact!" Zapdos charged forward at full speed, not waiting for Pikachu to get back up. Ash watched helplessly as Pikachu took the attack head-on, and skidded across the field, where it lay motionless.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" said Brock. "Zapdos is the winner!"

Ash ran onto the field and scooped Pikachu into his arms. "You battled well against Zapdos. Now you can just rest." After handing Pikachu to Misty, Ash walked back onto the field to face his opponent. He was getting washed away, but this battle wasn't over yet. He'd just have to do as much damage as he could to Zapdos before it could attack again. He selected another Pokeball and threw it. "Snorlax, I choose you!"

Roger returned Zapdos to its Pokeball, too. "Here's another Pokemon you'd remember well from the old days!" said Roger. He threw his third Pokeball onto the field, calling, "Let's go, Victreebel!" Another large Pokemon came onto the field. This one was also yellow, but instead of the bright yellow of Zapdos, it was a greenish yellow with a mottled body. It also had a large leaf sticking out on each side, and another one on its head, partially covering a large opening.

Ash did remember Victreebel. It was Roger's most trusted Pokemon and his very first. It was famously large for its species, being nearly eight feet high. "Victreebel's a Grass-type..." Ash muttered, coming up with his plan. "Snorlax, Ice Punch!"

As Snorlax jumped forward, its fist glowing pale blue, Roger called, "Dodge it, Victreebel!" Victreebel avoided the attack with incredible speed, and Snorlax punched the ground instead, covering a small circle with ice.

"Ice Punch again!" screamed Ash. "Victreebel can't dodge forever!" Snorlax threw another Ice Punch as its opponent with the same result. Victreebel dodged the attack again, with Snorlax coating more of the ground with ice. This time, however, Victreebel landed right on top of Snorlax.

"Victreebel, time to use Toxic!" ordered Roger. Victreebel released a thick, purple liquid from its mouth, which hit Snorlax in the face. The liquid immediately poisoned Snorlax, sapping its strength little by little.

"Hang in there, Snorlax!" called Ash. "Keep using Ice Punch until you hit Victreebel!" However, it was no good. Victreebel was simply too fast for Snorlax, who blundered around throwing Ice Punches which never hit their intended target. On Roger's command, Victreebel also occasionally hit Snorlax with a well-timed Razor Leaf. Suddenly, Ash noted Snorlax's heavy breathing; the poison was taking its toll on his Pokemon. "Let's try something different!" Ash shouted to Snorlax. "Go with a Body Slam!"

"Skate away on the ice, Victreebel!" commanded Roger. Victreebel lowered its armlike leaves onto the ice, which now covered a large part of the battlefield, and glided away on the ice. Snorlax's Body Slam missed, and Snorlax, who was clumsier than Victreebel, fell down flat on its protruding belly. "Razor Leaf, full power!" directed Roger. The latest set of sharp leaves hit Snorlax in the head, sending it sliding backwards off the ice.

Ash's Pokemon got up, panting. Snorlax was almost out of energy, and Ash knew it. "Time to go for broke!" he shouted. "Snorlax, Hyper Beam!" The powerful attack zoomed toward Victreebel, but it didn't move.

"Counter with Leaf Storm!" ordered Roger. Victreebel sent out a cyclone of leaves that collided with the Hyper Beam, and the two powerful Pokemon renewed their focus. Victreebel was in better shape than Snorlax, and the Leaf Storm soon won, hitting Snorlax full force. "Now use your own Hyper Beam!" Roger commanded. Victreebel sent out a Hyper Beam that hit Snorlax squarely in the face, and Ash's Pokemon fell over loudly.

After Snorlax did not move, Brock raised his arm for the third time, announcing, "Snorlax is unable to battle! Victreebel is the winner!"

Ash recalled Snorlax, realizing that he would go down but still hoping for glory in defeat. His best shot would be to use advantageous types against the Pokemon Roger had out at the moment, and hope for the best. "Heracross, I choose you!" he shouted, throwing his fourth Pokeball. Heracross materialized, looking intently across the field at Victreebel.

Roger, however, was not about to let Victreebel keep battling. He recalled his Pokemon, throwing out another of his own Pokeballs. "Let's go, Blastoise!" he shouted, and a huge blue Pokemon appeared. It had a brown turtle shell with two cannons, each used to shoot powerful jets of water.

"Send another Pokemon out!" yelled Misty from the sidelines. "Remember what happened at the Silver Conference?"

Ash did remember what had happened at the Silver Conference over three years before. Gary had used a Blastoise, his most powerful Pokemon, against Ash's Heracross, and had knocked it out in one hit. However, now that Ash had thought about it, he had given Heracross a bad command in that battle, and he wasn't about to make the same mistake again. "Stay on guard, Heracross!" he called to his Pokemon.

"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" yelled Roger, seizing his chance. Blastoise shot a strong blast of water from its cannons, which headed straight for Heracross.

"Dodge and use Take Down!" ordered Ash. Heracross nimbly avoided the attack and crashed right into Blastoise, sending it reeling backwards.

"Strike back with Skull Bash!" commanded Roger.

"Heracross, Focus Punch!" shouted Ash. Blastoise hurtled toward its opponent, head down, but Heracross struck first, punching Blastoise in the face and knocking onto its back. "Yes!" yelled Ash. "We've got him! Heracross, Megahorn!" Heracross charged again, and Blastoise looked unable to defend itself...

"Blastoise, Rapid Spin!" Roger yelled, and Blastoise suddenly started spinning around inside its shell. When Heracross made contact, it only succeeded in lodging its horn in its foe's arm hole. Blastoise kept spinning, with Heracross held in place, helpless. "Send it flying!" Roger commanded. Blastoise suddenly started spinning vertically, sending Heracross sailing upward.

"Hold on, Heracross!" shouted Ash. "Use Megahorn as you fall!" As Blastoise stopped spinning and landed on its feet, Heracross came down headfirst, ready to land a powerful hit.

"Blastoise, Blizzard!" yelled Roger. Blastoise fired its cannons, but instead of sending out liquid water, it ejected a powerful jet of snow and ice. It hit Heracross before it come near Blastoise, and encased it in a block of ice. "Now, Hydro Pump!" ordered Roger. Blastoise's attack scored another direct hit, shattering the ice but leaving Heracross motionless on the ground.

"Heracross is unable to battle!" Brock said. "Blastoise is the winner!"

Ash recalled Heracross, looking more frustrated than ever. He'd had the upper hand in that battle; what had happened? His plan, though, was unchanged. "Sceptile, I choose you!" he shouted, throwing another Pokeball, and Sceptile came into view, looking energetic.

Roger recalled Blastoise as well, sending out another Pokemon. "Let's go, Hitmonlee!" A brown Pokemon, slightly shorter than Sceptile, appeared on the field. It was brown, with no visible mouth, and it had short arms and long, powerful legs.

"Sceptile, Quick Attack!" Ash yelled, wanting to gain the initiative quickly. Sceptile ran right at Hitmonlee at breakneck speed.

"Use Double Team!" commanded Roger. Many more Hitmonlee appeared on either side, and Sceptile zoomed harmlessly through a copy. "Double Team again, and surround Sceptile!" ordered Roger. Even more copies of Hitmonlee appeared, forming a circle, leaving Sceptile with nowhere to run. "Now use Close Combat!" All the Hitmonlee started to rush forward at once.

"Sceptile, use Quick Attack to jump up!" shouted Ash. Sceptile jumped before any of the Hitmonlee could hit it, but Ash was shocked by another smile on his opponent's face.

"Hitmonlee, Hi Jump Kick!" Roger called. All of the Hitmonlee jumped, and the real one landed a hard kick on Sceptile's chin. Sceptile started to tumble downwards, but Hitmonlee's momentum kept it rising for a split second longer. "Now, land with a Blaze Kick!" Roger ordered. Hitmonlee came back down, its right leg surrounded by flames. Just after Sceptile hit the ground, Hitmonlee landed on top of it, its fiery leg first. Sceptile screamed in pain, and did not get up when Hitmonlee jumped off it.

"Sceptile is unable to battle!" Brock announced, holding his hand up yet again. "Hitmonlee is the winner!"

So Ash was down to one Pokemon. He didn't want this Pokemon, his strongest of all, to get hurt, but he had to get something back out of the fiasco of this battle. He threw his last Pokeball, calling out the Pokemon that seemed designed for last stands. "Charizard, I choose you!" he yelled as his Pokemon came out with a roar.

"That's an impressive Charizard," complimented Roger, recalling Hitmonlee. "But you still have your work cut out for you with my last Pokemon. He threw his final Pokeball, calling, "Let's go, Mew!" A pink Pokemon came out this time. It had large eyes, looked like a kitten, and had a tail as long as its body.

Though it looked harmless, Ash and his friends were not fooled. All except Gary had seen Mew in action, and it was no pushover. Ash's friends all gasped when Mew appeared, while Ash himself almost fell over in surprise. "What was doing since he lost the national championship, collecting legendaries?" Ash grumbled to himself. His face was set, however, and he knew what he had to do, so he initiated the battle. "Charizard, use Dragonbreath!" Charizard exhaled a cloud of green, poisonous-looking gas that made its may towards Mew.

"Mew, Teleport!" commanded Roger. Mew disappeared before Charizard's attack hit it, reappearing right behind its opponent. "Now use Psychic!" Roger ordered. Mew's eyes suddenly glowed blue, and Charizard was encased in a blue glow as well. Mew used its control to lift Charizard high into the air, then to slam it into the ground.

"Charizard, use Dragonbreath again!" Ash called.

"Use Psychic to send it back!" Roger directed. Mew caught the attack with its mind, and hurled it right back at Charizard. "Now use Iron Tail!" Mew glided up to the stumbling Charizard, flipped over in midair, and hit Charizard with its tail, knocking it to the ground again.

"Hmm..." said Ash to himself. "Direct attacks won't work...I need to find a way around that Psychic..."

Then, suddenly, an idea came to him that just might work. "Charizard, use Fire Spin on yourself!" he called. Charizard surrounded itself with spinning flames. "Now, Charizard, use Take Down!" Ash commanded. Charizard, its body still sheathed in flames, charged.

"Mew, Psychic!" ordered Roger. Mew attacked again, but its Psychic power could not penetrate Charizard's wall of fire. Charizard slammed into Mew with a force amplified by the Fire Spin.

"Charizard, Steel Wing!" Ash yelled, his confidence building. The flames still in place around its body, Charizard charged again. This time, it hit Mew with its large, leathery wings, and it was Mew's turn to hit the ground. The flames around Charizard's body finally went out.

"Mew, use Teleport to get right behind Charizard, and then use Psychic!" Roger shouted. Mew complied, disappearing and materializing directly behind its opponent. The blue glow returned to its eyes—

"Charizard, Steel Wing with a spin!" yelled Ash. Charizard spun around, and its wing caught Mew again, knocking it backwards. "Now, Charizard, grab it and use Seismic Toss!" Ash ordered. He smiled knowingly; Charizard had defeated many powerful opponents with Seismic Toss.

However, Roger and Mew were not about to let Charizard pull off its signature move. As Charizard grabbed Mew in a bear hug, Roger yelled, "Throw it off with Psychic!" Mew's eyes glowed blue, and Charizard was thrown off its opponent. "Now, Iron Tail!" ordered Roger. Mew hit Charizard with its tail again, sending its opponent farther away from itself.

Ash looked up in horror. Mew had blocked what he'd hoped to be Charizard's finishing move. Peering up at the two Pokemon, he could see that Charizard's eyes had gone strangely blank. He supposed that Charizard must be getting tired, and decided to wrap up the battle quickly. "Charizard, give it your best Dragonbreath!" he commanded. Charizard opened it's mouth, but instead of attacking Mew, it launched the attack right into its own belly. Charizard tumbled over and over in the air, losing altitude all the time.

"Now, Mew, Hyper Beam!" shouted Roger. Mew launched a yellow-orange beam of light from its mouth that hit the already falling Charizard from above. With a crash that shook the earth, Charizard hit the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. When it cleared, Charizard was lying in a crater, unmoving.

Brock raised his well-practiced hand, announcing, "Charizard is unable to battle! Mew is the winner! And the winner of this match is Roger!"

After recalling Charizard, Ash sank to his knees. It was only a practice battle that he had lost, but Ash felt as though his dreams for the Champions' League were over. This was the kind of competition he could expect there. All of his friends crowded around him.

"Come on, Ash, pull yourself together," urged Gary. "You're not finished training yet, and Roger is a really tough nut to crack. You're gonna make a real splash at the Champions' League."

"Don't you guys see?" said Ash plaintively. "I got shut out here. If I can lose big like this, I can't beat Paul, let alone an Elite Four member."

"Yes, you can," said a voice from above is head. Ash looked up to see Roger looking him in the eyes. "Yes, you can," Roger repeated.

* * *

**Author's Note: Done with another chapter! This is the one I was waiting to write for a long time. Ash loses crushingly, but Roger still has confidence in him. Why does he, and what will it mean for the future of Ash's training/battling career? Stay tuned to find out!**


	8. Resetting the Course

Chapter 8: Resetting the Course

Ash looked at Roger in disbelief. "I lost like that...and you still think I can win a few battles at the Champions' League?" he asked.

"Yes, I think you can," Roger said again. "You are a talented trainer, and you have a team of powerful Pokemon. There's just one missing piece to your training and battling style."

"What?"

"You need to work on long-term strategy. You think of your strategy on the spur of the moment. There are definitely good reasons to think like this, but you rely of this kind of thinking enough to make your overall strategy haphazard."

Puzzled, Ash asked, "How do I do that?"

"Well," answered Roger, "let's start with each of your Pokemon's attacks. How do you choose attacks to teach your Pokemon?"

"Umm...I don't really decide that. Most of the time, my Pokemon learn new attacks on their own."

"Well, it's time to change that. At your level, nearly every trainer teaches his or her Pokemon moves that they think are necessary."

"Okay. So how do I decide what moves to teach my Pokemon?"

"How about I take a look at each of your Pokemon's moves?"

"Sure," Ash agreed. He showed Roger every Pokemon he owned and talked about their attack, and Roger provided his insight on which attacks each Pokemon should start learning. Sometimes, like with Ash's Quilava, he concluded that the attacks the Pokemon already knew would suffice.

"As someone who has an evolved Quilava," said Roger, "this one is impressive. Just keep training it with the moves it has."

However, Roger was much less impressed with most of Ash's Pokemon. Gabite got some of the biggest criticism of all. "You say Gabite knows Rock Smash, Dragon Pulse, and Dig, and it's learning Draco Meteor?"

"Yeah," said Ash.

"I would never use Rock Smash in a battle at your level. It's just not strong enough."

"So what should I use instead?"

"Hmm...it needs a strong Normal-type attack. Every Pokemon should have at least one, since it gives versatility. Teach it Strength," he suggested.

"Okay."

"And about its Draco Meteor, exactly how long has Gabite been learning it?"

"About..." Ash thought for a little while. "About three months."

"Three months? That's awfully long. Make sure Gabite learns it properly, and whatever you do, _don't_ use it in a battle until it's perfected."

"Sure."

"Also, you should teach it a move that's strong against Ice-types, because they're Gabite's greatest weakness...go with Iron Head."

Most of the Pokemon, however, fell somewhere in between the two extremes. The biggest surprise came with Bulbasaur.

"This set of moves looks reasonable," commented Roger when Ash had told him Bulbasaur's attacks. "Razor Leaf and Solarbeam are good Grass-type attacks, Take Down is a good Normal-type attack, and

Sleep Powder and Leech Seed can also help your situation. Still, I think you can take more of an advantage of Bulbasaur's types."

"What do you mean?" asked Ash. "You talked about Razor Leaf and Solarbeam."

"Not the Grass type. Do you know Bulbasaur's other type?"

"Uh...is it...I give up."

"It's Poison, so you should teach Bulbasaur a Poison-type attack. Try Sludge Bomb."

"Okay. But how's all this gonna help beat Paul?"

"You just need a little strategy. The key beating Paul with your chosen team is your Sceptile..."

* * *

Finally, Roger was finished telling Ash about strategy. Ash had taken it all in, but all the training he would have to do to put it into practice was staggering. The tournament would begin in only two months, and he would have to teach most of his Pokemon at least one new attack, as well as train all of his Pokemon to use their moves effectively and creatively during battle. When he voiced these doubts to Roger, the gym supervisor asked him, "Ash, how much do you want to beat Paul? Or furthermore, how much do you want to win some other match against any trainer?"

"I want to beat Paul," said Ash determinedly, "and I want to win the whole Champions' League if I can."

"Then you'll just have to try your best to put what I told you into practice."

"You're right," said Ash. He held out a hand for Roger to shake. "Thanks for showing me all that stuff."

"You're very welcome, Ash," said Roger, accepting the handshake. "I'm on the planning committee for the Champions' League, so I'll see the progress you've made by that time. And Gary," he added, turning to face Ash's former rival, "our battle is scheduled on October 28 at three o'clock."

"Thank you very much for your time," said Gary, shaking Roger's hand as well. "I'm looking forward to the chance to become a gym leader."

"Best of luck, both of you," said Roger, departing for the front of the lab.

Ash watched Roger walk away, lost in thought. It was time to take his training much more seriously than ever before. He would need to work himself and every one of his Pokemon as hard as possible if he wanted to triumph at the Champions' League. He knew what he had to do. It was doing it that would be the problem...

* * *

_Pikachu._

_Charizard._

_Snorlax._

_Sceptile._

_Staraptor._

_Heracross._

Every morning, the names of his anti-Paul Pokemon faced Ash when he got out of bed. They were a sobering reminder of just how far Ash had to go. They were also his best hope, the six that he was counting on to help him win.

A couple of weeks into the new training program, Ash came down for breakfast to find a letter waiting for him at his seat. "Good morning, mom," he said. "What's this?"

"It came from the planning committee for the Champions' League," said Mrs. Ketchum.

Ash looked at the envelope. It was indeed bout the Champions' League; inside the envelope was the final, official list of all 64 competitors. He barely even looked at most of it, only paying attention to one name on the list:

_**Paul Shipley**__. Champion, Sinnoh League._

Ash slouched in his seat after reading Paul's name. He could almost see Paul's face staring at him from the paper, wearing its cold scowl. Since he had been diligent in training his Pokemon since Roger had visited, they had all made enormous progress. Still, Paul was undoubtedly training just as hard, and he was building on his already formidible strategic ability.

He was unusually quiet during breakfast, barely even talking to his mother or friends. Instead, he ate his food quickly and finished before anyone else.

"Hey, guys," he told the table, "I'm going down to the lab. You guys can catch up, right?" he asked his friends.

"Sure," they all said.

"Okay, I'll see you later," said Ash. He left the kitchen, Pikachu on his heels.

Mrs. Ketchum took his dishes over to the sink, and only then allowed her face to show her worry. _Ash has training as his number one priority now_, she thought. _Like father, like son. Well, if he takes his life in this direction, at least he'll become as great a trainer as his father...it's his dream to be a master, after all...

* * *

_

Ash arrived alone at Professor Oak's lab, and after saying a quick hello to Professor Oak, Gary, and Tracey, he went out back to train. "Okay, everyone, time to come out and train!" he shouted after stepping outside and closing the door. His Pokemon all gathered in front of him. By this time, they all had an air of reluctance. Sceptile had had lost its arrogant demeanor, Squirtle was very nervous, and Donphan lay down as soon as it had come over. "You guys are doing great so far, but there's no time to relax. We have to keep training really, really hard. So Pikachu, Charizard, you're sparring together. Quilava, Totodile, same with you guys..."

Last of all were Torkoal and Buizel, whom Ash had saved just for now. Torkoal still needed a chance to practice its new move and the accompanying strategy. "Okay, Buizel, Torkoal, face each other." When his Pokemon faced each other, he said, "Torkoal, Buizel's helping you practice Earthquake in a battle situation. Since you're not very fast, you'll need to defend yourself first, and then attack. Okay?" Torkoal nodded. "Alright, Buizel, Aqua Jet! Torkoal, Iron Defense!" Buizel jetted towards Torkoal in a stream of water just as Torkoal tucked its head and legs into its shell. Buizel's attack slammed into Torkoal's shell, managing to send its adversary flying across the field, where it landed on its back. "Torkoal, make the defense stronger!" yelled Ash. "If you let an attack through like that, you'll be toast in the Champions' League!" With some difficulty, Torkoal stood up, and faced Buizel again. "Okay, lets try this again," said Ash. "Buizel, Aqua Jet! Torkoal, Iron Defense!" Buizel attacked again, smashing into Torkoal's shell. This time, Torkoal held firm, and Buizel lost control, falling on the ground. "Now, Torkoal, Earthquake!" commanded Ash. Torkoal shook the ground with its front legs, hitting Buizel. "That's better," said Ash approvingly. "Keep practicing. I need to go check on the others."

Ash walked over to Gabite, who was supposed to be practicing Draco Meteor. Gabite, however, was busy digging holes all over the battlefield. "Gabite, I _know_ you can use Dig!" he shouted. "Quit messing around and practice your Draco Meteor!" Gabite, however, was digging another hole, which was almost 40 feet deep. "Gabite, get out of there right now!" Ash yelled. "Remember what happened in your last match? We lost that battle because you couldn't use Draco Meteor! Do you really want to lose another one like that?" Gabite suddenly jumped out of its hole and landed next to Ash. "Good," said Ash. He started going through the technique for using Draco Meteor. "Okay, Gabite, focus your Dragon-type energy in the center of your body!" His Pokemon crouched in concentration, producing a ball of light within its mouth. "Now, fire with everything you've got!" Gabite released its attack, which went skyward, and Ash waited eagerly for it to split spectacularly. However, it just stopped in midair and started falling, and people started screaming as hit the ground in front of the lab's back door.

"Oh, no!" said Ash, running toward three people lying in a crater. He got closer, and saw that they were Misty, May, and Brock. "Practice a little more by yourself, Gabite!" he called to his Pokemon. He turned back to his friends. "Sorry, guys, are you okay?"

"Yeah," said Brock, groaning a little as he got up. "I'm alright." The other two got to their feet as well, and Brock and May went into the field to train some of Ash's Pokemon.

"So what took you guys so long?" Ash asked Misty.

"When we finished eating, we decided to help your mom with the dishes."

"What about helping me?" demanded Ash.

"Huh?"

"You guys said you were here to help me train!"

"Ash―"

"My Pokemon need training for the Champions' League! Do you know how much we still have to do?"

"Yeah, we just thought we should give your mom a hand!"

"So what? There's always gonna be dishes, but the Champions' League's gonna be here before you know it!"

Misty was dumbstruck, not believing Ash's strange behavior.

"I have some work to do," said Ash finally, walking toward Heracross. "Care to help like you said you would?"

Misty just stood there with a hurt look on her face. As soon as Ash was out of earshot, she sat down on the ground and started crying. She didn't notice anything else until May sat down in front of her. "What's wrong, Misty?" she asked.

"Ash blew up at me because we did the dishes," said Misty, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"What? Really?"

"Yeah." Misty paused. "Hey, May? Remember that fight we had the other day? The one where you told me that Ash cared too much about training?"

"Yeah."

"You were right. He's going completely crazy over it. I'm sorry I didn't see it before."

"That's okay," said May. They both turned to look at Ash, who was shouting at Heracross ("I said Megahorn, not Microhorn!"), and then looked back at each other. "Now we just have to help him clean up his mess."

As they got up to start training, a large green and black Pokemon watched from the bushes, hidden from everyone else. Crying a tear itself, it turned around and slunk away from the action.

* * *

**Author's Note: Another chapter finished! It's a little shorter than some of my other chapters, especially the last two, but I put lots of stuff in there. By the way, the last name I used for Paul is based on his Japanese name (Shinji, for those who don't know).**

**Also, for those of you who are interested, I'm also planning to start writing a Harry Potter fanfic very soon. I don't have a title for it yet, but it will take place a few years after the books. Don't worry, it won't interfere with updating this story.**

**So Chapter 9 (Wildfire) will be up soon! Stay tuned!**


	9. Wildfires

Chapter 9: Wildfires

Autumn was coming in earnest. The temperature steadily dropped, and more and more leaves changed color and fell from their trees. Still, even though change was coming in the natural world, many things were staying the same in the world of Ash Ketchum. Ash was still training his Pokemon with a cold, fierce determination that stated all too clearly his intention of winning the Champions' League, and especially his intention of beating Paul. With the tournament coming ever closer, Ash kept training in a manner that left himself and everyone else around him tired.

Misty and May could never seem to get an opportunity to confront Ash about the behavior that shocked them so much. They had breakfast every morning with barely a word to each other, and then hurried over to Professor Oak's lab to train. Other than a hasty lunch break, the training did not stop until dinnertime, by which time everybody was exhausted. After dinner, Ash tended to be very irritable, and he, Misty, May, and Brock would spend this time sitting around and making some forced conversation. The girls did, however, tell Brock what they thought about Ash's new approach, and he became the one to call Ash out first. It was a resounding failure, with Ash simply repeating that he and his Pokemon needed all of the hardest training they could get. Therefore, Misty, May, and Brock agreed behind Ash's back to simply stay and give the Pokemon some lighter training when they could.

Gary was fairly isolated from all this. He had not been around since his interview with Roger, as he had an important battle coming up and needed to focus on training his own Pokemon. Even he, however, had noticed a change in Ash and his other friends: if Ash said hello to him at all these days, it was with a quick wave and a forced smile before rushing out the back door to train. Misty, May, and Brock barely said hello either, and Gary could make out the sadness in their eyes when they faced him. Therefore, he was planning a surprise for them that would hopefully lift them out of their bad moods, and maybe get them to tell him what was so wrong. Then, maybe he could help them all out of it.

One morning, Gary waited right by the lab's back door, waiting for Ash, Misty, May, and Brock to reach him.

"Hey, Gary," they chorused as they made for the door.

"Hey, guys, what do you say we all take a little trip for a couple days?" asked Gary.

"Trip?" asked Misty. "What kind of trip?"

"When?" asked May.

"See, my battle's tomorrow at three," answered Gary.

"Oh, yeah!" said Brock, remembering suddenly. "Good luck, Gary!"

"Well, I need to go check into my hotel room today," said Gary. "I'm heading for Viridian City after lunch. I'm gonna be busy training during the days, but you guys can watch the battle, and we can all hang out tonight and tomorrow night. I'm coming back in two days."

May gave it a second's thought. It would be great to get away from training for a while. "Sure!" she said after a second. "Thanks for inviting me, Gary!"

"Count me in too!" said Misty. "I can't wait to see your battle!"

"Hold it!" shouted Ash. "If we're in Viridian City, how are we gonna train?" he demanded.

"I was thinking you could take a break from training," answered Gary, a little stunned by Ash's yelling. "You know, I'm worried about you guys, I can see how all your training is getting to you—"

"And what's that supposed to mean? I _need_ to train like this! If I don't, I might as well not compete at the Champions' League! And don't you guys walk out on me," he added to Misty and May, "this is when I need you most!"

"Ash," said Misty, "I know you're tired from all the training you've been doing, we're all tired—"

"So?" yelled Ash. "I can't just not train for two days! I'm not going to Viridian City, and you guys had better stay here too!"

After this last outburst, Misty started yelling too. "Yeah, we're _here to help you train_, I know! But we're not your slaves, Ash, so don't try to boss us around!"

"You don't want to stay? Fine! Go, I don't care! I'll train everyone myself, and you'll be sorry when I win the Champions' League!"

A long period of silence followed this exchange. Everyone was flabbergasted. Ash had always been driven to win. However, he had also been the embodiment of kindness, and to witness his utter coldness was alarming. Finally, Misty broke the silence. "Ash, when I first met you, you didn't have a lot going for you. You were lazy, arrogant, you didn't want to listen to anyone if you didn't have to... the one thing you had is that you cared about your friends, and that included your Pokemon. If you don't anymore... then the Ash I knew is dead."

When Ash didn't answer or respond in any way, May spoke next. "You helped me a lot when I was starting on my journey. I never would have won that Grand Festival without you helping me. One thing you told me from day one was to bond with your Pokemon. You need to train? At least don't train like you do now. All your Pokemon hate it, and you won't even get away for a few days to let them rest and put everything in perspective. If you don't care what we do, at least think about your Pokemon."

Ash still didn't speak or move, so Gary said, "The girls are right, Ash. You told me once that an important part of being a trainer was being friends with your Pokemon. I didn't believe you at the time, remember? But now I have to say that you were right, and I was wrong. Don't lose those friendships, Ash, and don't lose your human friendships either by being so uptight!"

Ash's only response was to walk out the back door without saying a word. Brock said into the awkward silence, "Uh, maybe I should just stay here."

* * *

The training session that day was not going well. He could not get in a decent amount of time with any one of his Pokemon, since he only had Brock helping him. He grumbled about Misty, May, and Gary leaving for Viridian City, wondering if they would even come back to help him anymore, as he ran from Pokemon to Pokemon, trying to get them to perfect all their moves. _Why are they leaving me with this mess?_ he thought. _Couldn't they see how important this is?_

He ran toward the lake, where his Water-types were training. "Buizel, show me a Rain Dance!" he called even before he'd stopped. Buizel expelled a large amount of water skyward from its mouth, which promptly formed clouds and began to come back down as rain. "Now, use Aqua Jet!" yelled Ash. Buizel shot forward at incredible speed, boosted by its special ability, Swift Swim. This was yet another idea of Roger's; the former champion had suggested that Buizel learn Rain Dance to maximize its speed and power. Buizel, however, could not seem to handle either; it was going so fast that it crashed into the shore, landing sprawled on the ground. "Come on, Buizel!" roared Ash. "You know you have to control your speed and power when they're boosted by rain! You should have learned that by now, what's taking you so long?" Buizel said something apologetic in Pokemon speak, and tried to get back up. "Get up _now_, Buizel, I have other Pokemon to train today!"

Just then, a Fire-type landed a few feet away, hit by a steel bar on a specially made obstacle course. "Infernape," muttered Ash to himself, running over to his fallen Pokemon. "What was that supposed to be, Infernape?" he shouted. "Were you too slow on the Mach Punch or the Flare Blitz?" Infernape stood up doggedly, clearly exhausted but with a fire in its eyes, desperate for Ash's approval. "It was your Mach Punch, wasn't it?" pressed Ash. "Your speed will be _everything_ when you compete! Get a grip! You _know_ we can't win the Champions' League if you're goofing off!"

Infernape suddenly let out a scream of fury that carried over the whole training area. Then, it turned and ran as fast as it could away from Ash. Ash then heard a splash, and saw that Buizel had jumped out of the water and was following suit. "Get back here, you two!" Ash yelled after them. "We're not finished training yet!" They ignored him and continued to run. Cursing under his breath, Ash chased them. "Where do you think you're going?" Ash shouted hoarsely as he pursued them into a nearby grove. "We... should... be... training!" he panted.

Just when his legs were about to give out, Infernape tripped over a tree root, landing on its face. Buizel stopped to help Infernape up, and Ash, seizing his chance, sprinted past them and spread his arms as wide as they could go. "You... need... to come... back,... guys," Ash panted. "Don't... you see? I... _need_... you... if I want... to win... the Champions' League! _Please_... don't quit... on me now." Infernape and Buizel looked at their trainer, whom they had resented for his hard training over the past few weeks. But here he was, begging them to come back, having chased them until he was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. They looked at each other, deciding to give him one more chance. Grudgingly, the two of them turned around and started walking back to the training area. Uttering a few words of relief, Ash staggered after them.

Ash, Buizel, and Infernape came back into the training area. The two Pokemon, not wanting to get yelled at again, hurried off to do their training at once. Ash was about to collapse against a tree when he saw Professor Oak, Brock, and Tracey waiting for him, all looking extremely serious. "Hey, Ash," said Brock, "come inside. We need to talk to you."

"Can't it wait until we're done training?" groaned Ash.

"I'm afraid not, Ash," said Professor Oak. "Strange as it may seem to you, some things are more urgent than training for the Champions' League. Please come with us." Bewildered and a little nervous, Ash followed the three of them to the living room. "Sit down, Ash," said Professor Oak. Ash sat, wondering why the three of them were interrupting his training routine.

"Ash," said Brock, who had a touch of an edge in his voice, "I think you should go to Viridian City to watch Gary's battle."

"Brock," said Ash, very annoyed now, "how many times do I have to tell you? _I need to train!_"

"We think you should go away for a couple of days," said Tracey.

"Were you listening?" said Ash. "I have to—"

"Ash, Infernape and Buizel just tried to run away!" exclaimed Brock. "You can't risk anything else like that!"

"I _have_ to risk it!" Ash screamed, getting up from his seat. "We all need—"

"You need some space from your Pokemon right now!" insisted Brock. "Do you even realize why Infernape and Buizel almost ran away?"

"I really don't care right now!" said Ash. "Don't you get it? I need my Pokemon to be—"

"Ash, calm down!" warned Professor Oak. "You need to know why your Pokemon tried to run away. What if Heracross decides to run away next? Or Charizard? Or Pikachu? Could you risk that?"

"Okay," said Ash. "Why did Infernape and Buizel try to run away?"

"Did you notice Infernape's behavior ever since you picked Charizard for your team to battle Paul?" asked Brock.

"No," said Ash slowly.

"Well, Infernape's been moping around at every mention of your power team. It badly _wants_ to battle Paul. It _wants_ to beat one of Paul's Pokemon. So Infernape has been training extra hard, hoping that you'll drop Charizard from the team and use it instead. Even as you got harder with your training, Infernape always gave 150 percent, and because of that one mistake it made today, you yelled at it for 'goofing off.' Don't you see? Infernape has been vying for your approval, and just now you made it believe that it won't ever get that. _That's _why Infernape tried to run away."

"So why did Buizel try to run away too?" asked Ash.

"Buizel was right there when you were yelling at Infernape," said Brock. "It heard everything you said, and it probably knows everything I just told you." _And it sees you becoming a clone of Paul_, Brock thought to himself.

"But what will happen with training while I'm gone?"asked Ash.

"I'll keep training everyone, I promise," said Brock. "But it won't be a good idea if you show up anytime in the next couple of days."

"And you can apologize to Gary and the girls for the way you treated them today," said Tracey. "They were all just trying to help you."

"Okay," said Ash heavily. "I'll go to Viridian City, see Gary's battle, apologize to everyone, and then come back here. And when I come back, I _will _keep training as hard as I need." With that, he walked out the front door.

_I hope he trains his way when he gets back, not Paul's way_, Brock thought.

* * *

Half an hour later, a fight was raging in the small center of Pallet Town, albeit hidden from its residents. "Meowth, for the record, _I_ wasn't the one who thought up that ridiculous Togetic contraption!" Jessie was screaming at her teammate.

"That's 'cause you never think of nothing!" Meowth shouted back. "I'm the one who keeps the team going when you two are bumming around! I might not be catching Pikachu but at least I'm doing something!"

"Well, at least I bought this book that's been helping us out so nicely!" said James, waving _A Criminal's Handbook_ in front of their faces. "It told us to lie low and count our blessings, and not to think more than ten seconds about any plans—" James stopped suddenly, his face blanching. He had just read the warning on the back: _THIS BOOK IS A SPOOF. Its authors do NOT encourage or condone criminal activity._ "Why did you make me buy this thing, Jessie? I traded most of my bottle cap collection for it!"

"Even if I _made_ you buy it, you didn't even read the label on what you buying!" yelled Jessie. "You have to be more responsible!"

"Quiet, you two!" whispered Meowth suddenly, slapping a paw over each of their mouths. "Look who it is."

Jessie and James peered out of the clump of bushes where they were hiding, and saw Ash getting on a bus at a nearby stop. "It's the twerp," said Jessie. "But what's he doing riding on a bus and staying away from the other twerps?"

"I know, Jessie," said James. "He doesn't even look like he has Pikachu with him."

"Which means Pikachu must be sitting in Pallet Town waiting for us to pick it up!" said Meowth.

"You idiots," whispered Jessie loudly, "just because we didn't see Pikachu doesn't mean it isn't there! The twerp _always_ travels with Pikachu!"

"But Jessie—" began James and Meowth.

"The twerp and Pikachu are going to Viridian City, and we're going to follow them!" interrupted Jessie. The other two didn't dare argue.

* * *

Ash knew that there were plenty of fun things to do in Viridian City, but he did not feel like doing any of them. He still felt like he should be back in Pallet Town, training his Pokemon, getting ready for the Champions' League. He was sure that Paul was doing just that... but were Paul's Pokemon ready to run away from him too, just because he was training them? Ash had seen a number of Paul's Pokemon, and they had all seemed fiercely loyal to their trainer...

Finally, Ash resigned himself to the fact that he would not be back in Pallet Town, so he decided that he might as well see a movie at a theater. To take his mind fully off his Pokemon who were still training without him in Pallet Town, he chose an action movie, involving a terrorist with a loyal gang of Golduck squaring off against a Pokemon Ranger and his Charizard. It worked as long as the movie was still on, but as he left, his mind wandered back to his Pokemon. He wondered how Pikachu and the others were holding up without his guidance, and wished he was back with them.

Seeing that it was just about dinnertime, Ash went into a nearby fast food restaurant for a burger and fries. Everything was much too greasy for his liking, but he never thought to complain. It was a minor annoyance compared to what was really on his mind.

Since he'd had no fun since arriving in Viridian City and was perpetually exhausted from his constant training back home, Ash decided on hitting the sack early. However, even booking a room at the local Pokemon Center was harder than usual. He asked the Nurse Joy at the counter for a room.

"Yes, we have a room available." she said. "Do you have any Pokemon you would like me to heal?"

"No thanks, Nurse Joy," answered Ash, "I don't have any of my Pokemon with me right now."

Nurse Joy became suddenly stern. "Young man, you realize that this is a Pokemon Center, don't you?" she said. "We provide free rooms for trainers, but we can't let just anyone stay here without having their Pokemon in our care."

"But I _am_ a trainer," protested Ash. "Here's my Pokedex." He handed the device over, relieved that he had brought it with him.

Nurse Joy brought up his information on the Pokedex. "Okay," she sighed, "I'll let it slide this time, since you have such a serious training career." She started walking upstairs. "Right this way."

After thanking Nurse Joy, Ash lay in bed, even though the sun was only just beginning to set. His mind wandered back to training. He thought of Pikachu, realizing how strange it was to be traveling without his best friend. Ash and Pikachu had always traveled together from the time they had both started their journey, and now they were separated because of an incident that was not even between the two of them. He then thought of that incident itself, of how Infernape and Buizel had almost left his team forever. _Maybe everyone's right_, Ash thought. _Maybe I should stop being so hard on all my Pokemon._

_Don't think like that_, said another part of his mind. _Remember, Roger gave you a whole bunch of attacks your Pokemon needed to learn._

_But he also told you to make Paul see his mistakes_, said the first part, _and now you're becoming just like him!_

_But didn't he also ask you how badly you wanted to beat Paul? _asked the second part. _Paul really gets results with his training. Bonding with your Pokemon is nice, but it can only get you so far. The only way to beat Paul is by learning from him. Remember, your dream is to be a Pokemon master. You're closer than you ever were. Don't give up on it now!_ With this last, painful thought, Ash rolled over on his bed and went to sleep.

* * *

Early as he had gone to bed the night before, Ash woke up around 11:30. After getting dressed, the first thing he did was ask Nurse Joy, "Do you know where the gym tryout battles are being held? My friend's battling today, and I want to cheer him on."

"Sure," said Nurse Joy. "They'll be at the gym itself. Do you need directions?"

"No thanks," said Ash. "I remember where the gym is. Thanks for letting me know!"

After eating a hurried fast food lunch, Ash made his way over to the gym. This was more difficult than any other time he'd been in Viridian City, since he had to fight thick crowds of both cars and pedestrians for the last few blocks, and then navigate the maze of people to buy a ticket for Gary's battle. We he finally got to the stands he looked down at the field to see Roger standing on one side of the field, and Gary walking onto the other. He was just in time.

* * *

**Author's Note: Finally, I'm done with another chapter. I can't believe how long it took me to write this, because this was another chapter that I've been planning for a long time. It just took me a while to figure out how to fit in some of the things I was putting in, and the introduction was tricky to write. I had to include Team Rocket too for comic relief, because the rest of the chapter is a little depressing. Chapter 10 (Winner and Loser) will be out soon. Stay tuned!**


	10. Winner and Loser

Chapter 10: Winner and Loser

Loud cheering erupted when Gary stepped into place. This was the most anticipated match of the tryouts: the legendary ex-champion Roger and the grandson of the famous Professor Oak, both long gone from competitive battling, were trying their strength against each other. Through a body microphone and speakers all around the gym, the referee managed to make himself heard. "This match between the gym supervisor, Roger of Vermillion City, and the prospective Viridian City gym leader, Gary of Pallet Town, will be a double battle, with each trainer having two Pokemon on the field at a time! No substitutions are allowed! The battle will continue until both of one trainer's Pokemon cannot continue battling, with no time limit! The prospective gym leader shall release his Pokemon first! Begin!" he finished, raising both arms.

Gary threw two Pokeballs onto the field, shouting, "Golem, Mamoswine, I choose you!" Two enormous Pokemon appeared on the field in front of Gary. One looked like an enormous, dark green boulder, except that it had a tan head, arms, and legs. The other looked a giant brown pig with huge tusks, with a patch of blue around its eyes.

Roger chose his Pokemon next. Throwing his Pokeballs, he called, "Let's go, Blaziken and Magneton!" Roger's Pokemon faced Gary's. One was Blaziken like the one May had, only slightly taller. _It must have evolved from that Combusken he used to use_, thought Ash. The other Pokemon looked like three metal eyeballs kept together by some unseen force, each with two magnets attached. It was a strange choice, having Gary test out his Ground-types against Pokemon that were especially vulnerable against Ground-type attacks.

Roger started off the battle, just like a gym challenger would. "Magneton, use Flash Cannon on Golem! Blaziken, use Blaze Kick on Mamoswine!"

Gary winced as he watched Roger's two Pokemon rush forward. His own Pokemon could never dodge opponents with that kind of speed, so he would have to order a counterattack. "Mamoswine, Mud Bomb! Golem, Gyro Ball!" he shouted. Mamoswine tried peppering its adversary with rocks while Golem hurtled at Magneton head-on. All the attacks collided. Golem could not avoid or overpower the Flash Cannon, which knocked it onto the ground and rolled it away. Blaziken kicked right through the Mud Bomb, hitting Mamoswine in the face with its own attack. Ash could see Gary grimace in frustration before yelling, "Time to strike back! Mamoswine, use Ice Beam on the ground! Golem, Earthquake!" The ripples from Golem's attack reached Mamoswine before the other two, but Mamoswine, incredibly, was not harmed. It slid around on its icy floor instead of staggering around and falling. Apparently, Gary and his Pokemon had practiced this trick before. The shock waves sped toward Blaziken and Magneton, who would take major damage if the Earthquake managed to hit.

Roger, however, called, "Blaziken, Protect! Magneton, Magnet Rise!" Blaziken brought its arms in, forming a protective bubble around itself and blocking the attack. Magneton simply rose off the ground, where it could not be hit. Now, Gary, Ash, and the whole crowd realized why Roger had chosen Magneton. It could put itself out of the line of fire of Ground-type moves, and other attacks probably wouldn't be very effective.

Getting desperate, Gary called, "Golem, Earthquake one more time! Mamoswine, use Ancientpower on Magneton!" Golem sent out another Earthquake just as Mamoswine sent sharp rocks shooting toward Magneton.

"Okay, Magneton," called Roger, "Light Screen! Blaziken, jump into the air and go towards Mamoswine!" Magneton threw up a defensive shield of light just before the Ancientpower hit, reducing the attack's punch. Indeed, Magneton didn't even look scratched. At the same time, Blaziken jumped, avoiding the second Earthquake for the moment. "Blaziken, land with a Blaze Kick on the ice!" Its foot covered in fire, Blaziken landed hard on Mamoswine's ice floor, melting it completely. When it was done, both Pokemon braced themselves as they took damage from the Earthquake. "Excellent!" cried Roger. "Now, Magneton, use Flash Cannon on Golem! Blaziken, Brick Break on Mamoswine!"

Gary saw Blaziken knock Mamoswine backward before he could do anything about it, while a new attack was streaking towards Golem. "Golem, use a Stone Edge on that Flash Cannon!" he screamed. Sharp rocks chipped away at Magneton's attack, but it got through anyway and scored direct hit on Golem.

"Now," called Roger, ready to land a crushing blow, "Magneton, Flash Cannon on Golem again! Blaziken, Flare Blitz on Mamoswine!"

As Blaziken rushed toward Mamoswine, its body wreathed in flames, and yet another Flash Cannon zoomed toward Golem, Ash thought desperately in the stands, _Come on, Gary, think of something! This battle's not over yet!_

Suddenly, Gary called, "Mamoswine, use Ice Beam on Blaziken! Golem, Double-Edge on Blaziken!" Golem rushed sideways with surprising speed, and Magneton's attack missed it completely. Mamoswine, however, looked like it would not be so lucky. Its Ice Beam was slowing Blaziken down, but the Flare Blitz was just too strong. However, ice started forming on Blaziken's body, evaporating immediately. Finally, one patch of ice melted, lingering for a split second before turning to steam. This was followed by more liquid water, which made Blaziken roar in pain and stop in its tracks. It wasn't done taking damage yet, however, as Golem crashed into it with its Double-Edge, sending it flying across the field, where it landed hard on its stomach, getting back up with difficulty. The crowd cheered loudly at this show of tactics. Gary, however, was not very happy. He had hoped to take Blaziken out with this combination, but the fiery chicken was still standing.

Roger then called, "Magneton, Supersonic on Golem!" High-pitched sound waves poured into Golem's ears, and its eyes glazed over in confusion.

Meanwhile, Gary decided that it was time to go for broke and knock Blaziken down. "Golem, use Earthquake!" he shouted. "Mamoswine, Mud Bomb on Blaziken!"

"Jump, Blaziken!" called Roger. Blaziken jumped, avoiding the Mud Bomb, but the Earthquake didn't come. Instead, after jumping itself, Golem wedged itself into the ground with a spectacular face plant. "Now, Blaziken, Brick Break on Golem! Magneton, Flash Cannon on Golem!" commanded Roger. Both attacks hit Golem, knocking it out of the ground and onto its back, where it lay motionless.

"Golem is unable to battle!" called the referee, raising the flag in his left hand.

"Mamoswine, Mud Bomb on Blaziken!" yelled Gary desperately, but he already knew that the battle was lost.

"Dodge that, Blaziken!" shouted Roger. Blaziken nimbly evaded the attack. "Now, Blaziken, Flare Blitz, and Magneton, Flash Cannon!"

"Use Ice Beam on Blaziken!" screamed Gary. He was too late this time, though, because Blaziken was right up close by the time Mamoswine had launched its attack. The two Pokemon battled at close range before both were hit by the Flash Cannon. By the time the smoke had cleared, Blaziken had collapsed.

"Blaziken is unable to battle!" called the referee, raising his right hand. The crowd gave its loudest cheer yet. However, at that moment, Mamoswine hit the ground with a thud. "Mamoswine is also unable to battle!" said the referee. "The winner of this match is Roger from Vermillion City!"

Forgetting what had happened between him and his friend, Ash ran down to the arena to congratulate Gary, again fighting the crowd, who were streaming outside to get refreshments. When Ash reached the arena, he saw Roger, Gary, Misty, and May all talking happily about the battle. Gary didn't even seem disappointed about losing.

"Hey guys," Ash called to the two battlers, "that was a great battle!"

"Thanks very much!" said Roger heartily.

Gary's response, however, was a different story. "Is someone talking to me?" he asked sarcastically.

"I don't see anyone," said Misty coldly.

"What's with you guys?" asked Ash. "I'm sorry I blew up at you yesterday, but I came here like you wanted, so what's the big deal?"

"_Here's_ what's the big deal!" yelled May. "Misty and I stayed with you, away from our families, to help you train for the Champions' League, and you treated us like crap for weeks! Not to mention that you treated your Pokemon worse, if that's possible! Then, when Gary plans a little vacation to take off the stress, you act like you were insulted!"

"I'm sorry about—" began Ash.

"You're _ sorry _?" said Misty. "You think you can just bring everything back to the way is was before by saying _'sorry_?' What's your problem?"

"Come on, girls," said Gary, "let's get out of here."

"Come on, guys, wait up!" called Ash desperately, but the three of them paid him no attention. He ran after them, catching up with them outside the gym. He ran in front of them, saying, "Look, I know I messed up treating you like that—"

"Which is one time too many!" screamed Misty. "Get out of our faces!"

Suddenly, the appearance of a large shadow cut their argument short. All four of them looked up, and saw an all-too-familiar Meowth-shaped hot air balloon with three all-too-familiar faces peering out of it.

"Is that a twerpish voice I hear?" chanted Jessie.

"It's speaking to us loud and clear," answered James.

"I already know the rest!" yelled Ash impatiently. "So take your dumb motto somewhere else!"

"Fine, have it your way!" said Jessie.

"You just need to give us what we want!" said James.

"Your Pikachu!" they chorused.

"Well, that's tough," said Ash, "because Pikachu's not here!"

All three Team Rocket members froze, then starting arguing among themselves. "Jess," yelled Meowth, "why did you drag us along on this wild goose chase anyways?"

"I thought Pikachu was here!" shrieked Jessie. "The twerp _always _travels with Pikachu! If you saw any differently, why didn't you tell me?"

"Let's just do the next best thing!" said James, breaking up the argument. "The twerps have lots of Pokemon we can steal!"

"Yeah," said Meowth. "No sense fighting each other when there's work to do!" It pushed a button, and a giant tube came out of the bottom, sucking in the air around it.

As the crowds panicked and ducked for cover, Ash braced himself against the wind, and reached instinctively for his belt. "I choose—" he began, but he only felt empty space. "I left my Pokemon in Pallet Town!"

Meanwhile, the others around him were taking action. Gary was the first to respond. "I choose you, Pidgeot!" he called, releasing a magnificent birdlike Pokemon with long red and yellow feathers on its head.

"Go, Starmie!" yelled Misty, sending out a purple, star-shaped Pokemon with a bright red jewel in its center.

"Hitmontop, I choose you!" said May, sending out her newest Pokemon.

"Pidgeot," ordered Gary, "use your Gust to fight that machine!"

"Starmie, Ice Beam!" called Misty. As Pidgeot strained to counteract the sucking of Team Rocket's machine, Starmie aimed its Ice Beam, fired, and hit its mark: the burner that supplied the balloon with hot air.

The balloon crash landed, and the trio climbed out of it, bruised. "Nobody pushes us around like that!" yelled Jessie. She threw two Pokeballs, shouting, "Seviper, Wobbuffet, teach those twerps a lesson!" The two Pokemon, one black and snakelike, the other a sky blue blob, came out, ready to fight.

"Go, Carnivine!" said James, releasing a Pokemon that looked like a tangle of vines with a large mouth. Immediately, though, it clamped its mouth onto its trainer's head, prompting James to shout, "This isn't chow time! Go fight the twerps!"

"Starmie," ordered Misty, "use Hydro Pump on Wobbuffet!" Starmie sent a powerful blast of water right at Wobbuffet.

Right then, Jessie shouted, "Wobbuffet, Counter!" It had no effect. Her Pokemon was blasted backward straight into her by Starmie's attacck.

"Pidgeot, Aerial Ace on Carnivine!" called Gary. The advancing Grass-type was cut off by a swipe from Gary's Pokemon.

"Hitmontop, send them all flying with Triple Kick!" commanded May. Her Pokemon sprang into action. The first kick caught Jessie and Wobbuffet, the second hit Seviper and Meowth, while the final one smashed into James and Carnivine. All three went flying.

"Another plan gone wrong," said Meowth as the three of them hurtled through the air.

"It's the same old song," said James.

"We just need a new plan," said Jessie.

"But now we're blasting of again!" they all screamed.

"Yeah!" said Ash. "Thanks guys, you did a great job beating them—huh?" He suddenly registered their faces, which were all looking angrily in his direction.

"That thing with Team Rocket didn't change anything, Ash!" May shouted.

"Yeah," added Misty, "so just shut up about being sorry and wanting us to come back, because it's too late for you to be sorry and we're not coming back!"

"Yeah, Ash, we're leaving, and don't try to follow us," said Gary.

Ash watched Gary walk away with Misty and May, feeling even worse than he had the previous night. _Was I really that bad?_ he thought. _Will they ever talk to me again?_ Ash strained his mind for a little bit of comfort in his bad situation. _At least I'm still becoming a Pokemon master_, he thought. _Yeah... when I become a Pokemon master, this will all be worth it._

Ash heard the door he had exited open again, and Roger came out of it, panting. He looked very angry. "How _dare _Team Rocket show their faces here again?" he thundered. "They're lucky they were already beaten by the time I got here, or it would have been much worse for them!"

"Yeah," said Ash, "this one group that came... umm... they're not that smart."

"Oh well," sighed Roger, calming down, "we'll catch them next time. So why the long face?"

"Gary won't talk to me. Neither will Misty and May."

"Really? Why?"

"Well... they don't really think the new training program is a good idea. And... I guess I was a jerk to them more than once."

"The new training program? Is that the one that I gave you?"

"Yeah. The one where I teach all my Pokemon new moves and strategies."

"Well... I guess you can't please everyone."

"But there's another thing too. I didn't want to come here at first, but I came for some space from my Pokemon because Infernape and Buizel both tried to run away."

"They did? Well, I guess it's not unexpected. The training program is really intensive, and not all Pokemon are cut out for it."

Ash's jaw dropped. Why was Roger so calm about this shocking news? Roger wanted Ash to correct Paul, and now it seemed like he wanted Ash to become just like him. What was going on?

"I'll tell you what," said Roger after long silence. "I have a couple more battles today, but I'm free at the end. How about I go with you to Pallet Town in the evening so we can have another battle? That way, I can check your progress."

"Sure," said Ash. "So we can take the six o'clock bus?"

"Fine with me. And by the way, I was really impressed with the way Gary battled today. Between you and me, I think he'll be the next gym leader!"

Ash forced a smile, waved, and set out for the nearest fast food restaurant.

* * *

The prospect of the battle with Roger had given Ash a new determination. He was able to get his troubles with his friends out of his head for the first time since coming to Viridian City. It even made it bearable to eat burgers and fries instead of home-cooked meals from Brock or his mom, or even to walk around without Pikachu at his side. He would soon find out just how far his new training was taking him and his Pokemon.

The bus ride to Pallet Town was uneventful. Ash was much too absorbed in battle strategies to talk very much. He kept thinking about how to use the strategies Roger had taught him, and tried to remember when to apply them. However, Roger did tell him that Gary had battled the best out of all prospective gym leaders, so Gary would be the next leader of the Viridian City Gym. Also, since Roger did not want to get back to his hotel too late, they arranged a three-on-three battle with no substitutions instead of a full battle. Thus, as night fell, Ash and Roger faced each other on their former battlefield, with Ash's Pokemon nearby, all looking disgruntled. Since Brock had left early, and Professor Oak and Tracey both had more work to do, there was no referee.

"Okay, Ash, here's my first Pokemon," said Roger, choosing a Pokeball. "Let's go, Victreebel!" Roger's oversized Victreebel came out and faced Ash.

"Okay," said Ash. "Time to show our stuff. Go, Charizard, show me what you've got!" However, Charizard flew away, lay down in front of a nearby clump of trees, and started taking a nap. _What?_ thought Ash. _It's been years since Charizard disobeyed me._ "Fine, I don't need you!" shouted Ash after his Pokemon. "Go, Noctowl, you're up!" But Noctowl quickly flew away as well. _Noctowl too? This is worse than I thought._ "Okay, then, it's your turn, Glalie!" Ash called. Glalie just turned its face away, refusing to even look at the battlefield.

Ash's heart sank like a stone as the grim reality set in. Three of his loyal Pokemon had just disobeyed his orders to battle. Feeling tears forming in his eyes, he tore away from the field, stopping only when he reached a wild spot on the edge of Professor Oak's property, where he sat moping.

After a little while, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see Roger walking toward him. "Hi, Ash," he said.

"My Pokemon aren't even listening to me anymore." Ash said. "Why should I keep going?"

"It's an issue with discipline, that's all. If you work on that, you should be fine."

"But this whole thing just feels... it feels like it isn't me!"

"Really? I thought it was your lifelong dream to be a Pokemon master."

"Yeah, it is!"

"But this training program will get you there. It's the same thing, essentially, that I taught Paul—"

"_What_?" Ash was shocked by this last comment. "I thought you wanted me to help you make Paul a better trainer, not make me copy his garbage!"

"Garbage? No, what I told you and him is anything _but _garbage. I taught Paul how to vary his attacks, and to use them in unorthodox ways, and to push himself and his Pokemon as hard as he could; those are the same things I taught you. They are Paul's greatest strengths as a trainer. If you stay with the program, they can become your strengths too."

"Then what do you want my help fixing?"

"Paul's recent successes have made him arrogant. He doesn't listen to anyone, he thinks every loss bears signs of utter weakness, he already considers himself on par with Elite Four members—"

"I already know _that_! But my wins were always based on _trust_, being friends and partners with my Pokemon!"

"Look, you might not like what I taught Paul, and what I taught you, but it gets results! Why do you think Paul beats you all the time? Do you still want to beat Paul and win the Champions' League?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"Then as talented at battling as you are, Ash, and yes, you are _very_ talented, you must remember that _you_ are the trainer. _You_ have to make the difference. _You_ have to lead your Pokemon, whether they like where you're taking them or not."

"Look where that got me," replied Ash as tears started to fall from his eyes. "I'm _never_ gonna win the Champions' League if all of my Pokemon don't listen to me."

Roger just walked away, saying, "Then the game is over. And you lose."

* * *

**Author's Note: I think this is the quickest update so far. I can't believe how smoothly the writing went for this chapter. It's especially surprising because in the battle between Gary and Roger, I was planning to give Gary a smaller, faster ground type instead of a Mamoswine. However, none of them really seemed right to give Gary, so I went with a Mamoswine.**

**Anyway, it really looks like Ash hit rock bottom. His Pokemon are upset, his human friends are leaving him, and his new mentor turned his back on him. Will Ash manage to get out of his mess? Stay tuned!**


	11. On the Wild Side

Chapter 11: On the Wild Side

Ash was so lost in miserable thoughts after his latest discussion with Roger that he couldn't bring himself to stand up. He couldn't understand at all how this legendary former champion and his longtime idol could lead him so horribly wrong. Over and over again, Ash replayed everything Roger had told him to do, trying to make some sense of his situation, or even better, to try to find a way out.

He remembered the last thing Roger had told him before giving up and walking away, that his responsibility as a trainer was to push his Pokemon harder and in different directions than they really wanted to go. Ash felt like an idiot for trusting Roger after hearing this pronouncement, since he had long since learned the exact opposite about training. _Why_ had Ash fallen for that?

_Well, he _was_ a champion_, said the other part of his mind. _This must have been how he got and kept his title for years. And he really taught Paul a thing or two, since Paul is picking up on all of his tips... just like Roger, he's harsh, cold, sets a high bar for his Pokemon... and he's a _really_ strong trainer... maybe he was right after all..._

Then, Ash remembered his Pokemon, who were obviously very upset about his new training style. He saw the exhaustion every morning before the day's training had even _begun— _how had he missed that before? He remembered his aborted battle with Roger only hours before, where none of his Pokemon would even listen to him. And he remembered Infernape, trying so hard to impress its trainer, only to be met with a coldness that almost drove it to run away. Roger _had _to be wrong about that— there was no way around it— but how was this possible? How could Roger come up with a training formula good enough to win him the national championship, and then lead Ash to disaster with the same formula?

And then there was Paul. Basically, according to Roger, Paul would be a model trainer if he wasn't so overconfident. Paul, who had followed Roger's most outrageous advice so closely, had used it to great effect. Roger's way of training worked for Paul, so it had to count for something...

This brought Ash's mind back to Roger. Roger had told him that he'd better train his Pokemon as hard as he could, or he wouldn't last long in the Champions' League, and that it sometimes meant defying the wishes of his Pokemon.

This led to a vicious cycle of bewilderment and despair in Ash's mind. As the time passed, Paul's cold face and Roger's disappointed one just stayed in his mind as though their pictures had been pasted in front of his eyes. Ash would just have to write to Mr. Goodshow and withdraw from the Champions' League. But he had dreamed all his life about being a Pokemon master, and he could have sworn before this terrible ordeal that he was so close...

* * *

_In the midst of a screaming crowd, an announcer was calling two trainers into a huge arena for their battle. "And let's hear it for the red trainer, Ash from Pallet Town!" The crowd erupted into a cacophony of cheers and boos as Ash walked determinedly up to the field. "And now, we have the green trainer, Paul from Veilstone City!" continued the announcer. Ash's rival, looking the same as ever, walked up to the other side of the field._

_The referee started his obligatory speech about the terms of the match. "This will be a full six-on-six battle! It will continue until all of—"_

_At this point, though, Paul cut him off. "Wait a minute! Before we get into this battle, maybe everyone would like to see my new Pokemon!" The stunned referee only nodded while the crowd cheered its loudest yet. Without waiting for the okay from the referee, Paul took four Pokeballs from his belt and released their occupants. Ash's heart stopped when the first one materialized: it was his own Buizel. The other three Pokemon were also his: Sceptile, Donphan, and Noctowl came out, all facing Ash._

"_Guys, what are you doing over there?" Ash yelled, frightened. "_I'm_ your trainer, remember? You've got to remember me, it's Ash!"_

"_Sorry, loser, but finders keepers," said Paul gloatingly. "And I had to take this one back, too," he continued, throwing another Pokeball. Ash had to fight back tears as Infernape came out of it, all trace of friendliness gone. "Surprised?" Paul asked his open-mouthed opponent. "You shouldn't be. They all came to me willingly. They didn't think you were a good enough trainer."_

"_I'll get you for this, Paul!" Ash screamed, running at Paul, but his former Pokemon closed ranks in front of their new trainer, shielding him from harm._

"_Ash, don't you want to see my last Pokemon?" said Paul calmly. "I think you'll really like this one." He threw his last Pokeball, and out came... Ash's Pikachu.

* * *

_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ash screamed as he sat bolt upright, waking up from his nightmare. He was breathing heavily, and drenched in cold sweat. It even took him several seconds to see his dream for what is was, and that still didn't make him feel any better. Even though he knew that none of his Pokemon would voluntarily join Paul's team (and Paul probably wouldn't accept them anyway), he could see Infernape or Noctowl searching for a new trainer. _Pull yourself together_, Ash thought, _it was just a dream_.

Suddenly, Ash took note of his surroundings. He was inside a cave, which must have been up in the hills around Pallet Town. Looking at the entrance, he realized that he must have slept there through the night, but he had no idea how he'd gotten there. This is bad, he thought, how am I gonna get back? He stood up quickly and ran for the entrance, desperate to get out of his new predicament, before he noticed a hulking form moving to block his escape.

"Ahhhh!" he yelled hysterically. "Sorry about being in here, I swear I don't know— Tyranitar?" he finished, recognizing the shape of the Pokemon's silhouette. Tyranitar growled happily, pulling Ash into a giant bear hug. "How've you been, buddy?" asked Ash, though he could barely breathe. "Long time, no see! Why didn't you come around lately?" Tyranitar suddenly looked sad, and Ash understood. Tyranitar, after seeing Ash's new harshness with his Pokemon, would have found visiting the group less than fun, so it stayed away. "Yeah, I went a little crazy," Ash admitted. "Pretty much all of my Pokemon stopped listening to me, and Infernape and Buizel even tried to run away." He hesitated, then added, "I don't know if I'll ever get their friendship back. Forget the Champions' League. I just need to get everyone's trust back."

Ash turned to leave, but Tyranitar threw out an arm to stop him. "Oh, yeah, sorry," said Ash. "You can come along, but I really need to get back to my team." He turned to leave again, only to find the same arm blocking him. "Hey, what's the big idea?" demanded Ash, but then he relented. Tyranitar had obviously carried him into this nice cave after finding him asleep outside. Leaving abruptly like this couldn't be polite. "Okay, I guess I can stay a while." He looked around the cave. "So, do you live in here?" Tyranitar nodded. "Nice. You really found a dry place to stay, huh? So what have you been up to?" Tyranitar started throwing Thunderpunches into the air. "Training, huh? Want to go running right now?" Tyranitar nodded happily.

As soon as Ash had started running with Tyranitar, he realized how good a choice he had made. Before Roger had shown up, a warmup run had been an integral part of Ash's training, and he'd enjoyed it immensely. As well as keeping up everyone's endurance, running time had been the perfect time to bond and enjoy each other's company.

This was especially true when Ash wanted to catch up with his Pokemon, or to renew his promise to help them grow stronger. When Ash had run into his Lapras in Johto, whom he had released nearly a year previously, the two of them had exercised at the beach, Lapras swimming, Ash running along the shore. When Ash had challenged the Kanto Battle Frontier, and lost a match against Salon Maiden Anabel, he had decided to use the same Pokemon for the rematch, promising to use each one to its full potential. Ash had started training Pikachu, Corphish, and Tauros with a long run, and would later make good on his promise to beat Anabel. Later, when Ash had challenged Pyramid King Brandon, he had recalled Torkoal to use in the battle. The two had started their training with a nice run. Finally, after a crushing defeat by Paul in a full battle, Ash had vowed to work hard to beat his rival eventually. The first thing he had done with his team, before the battle injuries had even healed completely, was to go running.

However, Roger had warned against running after teaching Ash battle moves and strategies. "Try not to run with your Pokemon too much," the ex-champion had said. "You need an excellent constitution to handle what Pokemon as strong as yours need. If you fall short of that, you limit your Pokemon's capabilities to match your own." Also, Roger had warned, running could only help a handful of moves become more effective in battle, and there were better ways to build endurance; ways that were more realistic for a battle setting.

However, Roger could be wrong, too. Ash had already realized how badly astray Roger had led him by focusing on cold strategy and hard training. While running with Tyranitar, he was more confident than ever about his assertion: Roger's training methods might work well for himself or for Paul, but they could only go wrong in Ash's hands. Ash could not copy the strictness that Roger had taught him any longer. He would have to rediscover his own methods. _I just hope my Pokemon will keep me as their trainer_, thought Ash again, but the thought did not bother him as much as it would normally. Now, Ash was just running with the Ash-like purpose of catching up with an old friend.

* * *

The rest of the day was as good as the run. Tyranitar always ate from a clump of bushes that provided a myriad of berries, and since Ash was famished from his workout, Tyranitar wasted no time in gathering some for a meal. Although the berries lacked the perfectly cooked deliciousness of one of Brock's or Mrs. Ketchum's meals, they were extremely refreshing, especially after the long run. Ash and Tyranitar talked for hours and hours, blissfully oblivious to the passage of time, simply eating and enjoying one another's company until Ash glanced at his watch.

"Uh-oh!" he exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. "It's 2:30! I was supposed to be home this morning! Tyranitar, how do I get back to town?"

Tyranitar got up as well. It started walking, motioning for Ash to follow.

It took a hour to get back into Pallet Town. Since they had avoided Professor Oak's lab at Ash's request, it was a longer trip than it should have been. After scouting around for an alternate route, they reached a road connecting Ash's hometown with the coast. Finally, they reached the small patch of buildings which was Pallet Town.

"Thanks, Tyranitar," said Ash. "You're the best. Want to come with me?" Tyranitar hesitated, a pensive look on its fearsome face. Finally, it reached out a hand to Ash's belt, pulling out a red and white Pokeball. "You want be my Pokemon? Seriously? Even after I was so hard on the others?" Ash could not believe what was happening. He had just gotten a serious vote of confidence from Tyranitar that he wasn't sure that he deserved. Tyranitar nodded, looking pleadingly into Ash's face. Ash wasted no time in granting this request. Taking the Pokeball from Tyranitar's hand, he tapped the fierce-looking Pokemon. As Tyranitar disappeared into the Pokeball, Ash said happily, "Welcome to the team, Tyranitar!" Picking up the Pokeball, he muttered to himself, "If I still have a team when I get back."

* * *

At last, Ash got back to his house. He opened the door, shouting, "Mom? I'm home!"

Ash's mother ran in from the kitchen, followed closely by Brock and Mimey. She gave him a huge hug, saying, "_There _you are, sweetie, what took you so long?"

"Hi, Mom!" Ash replied. "I was just spending some time with my new Pokemon."

"Oh," said Mrs. Ketchum, "can we see?"

"Sure," said Ash, picking up Tyranitar's Pokeball. "Tyranitar, come on out!" Tyranitar materialized and looked around, taking in its new surroundings. "Hey, Tyranitar, this is my mom," said Ash, motioning to his mother. "That's Mimey," he said, pointing to Mimey as the latter waved, "and you already know Brock. This is my house, but you're gonna be staying at the lab with everyone else. Okay?" Tyranitar nodded, everyone else said their greetings, and Ash put his new Pokemon back in its Pokeball.

"So," said Brock, "how was Viridian City? Gary came back this morning, and we were a little worried that you weren't with him."

Ash told them about everything: the trip, Gary's battle with Roger, the scuffle with Team Rocket, the fight with Gary, Misty, and May, his own aborted battle with Roger, the disappointment of the ex-champion, and the day with Tyranitar.

"So what's your plan?" asked Brock when Ash had finished. "How will you make up with all your Pokemon?"

Ash looked at the floor, then up again. "I guess I'll just apologize to my Pokemon, and see where it gets me. But I'm not hoping for that much, since I was such a jerk and Gary and the girls are all mad at me. Right now, I don't blame Infernape or Buizel for wanting to run away."

"You might be surprised," assured Brock. "I could still see the same old Ash, even when you were a lot like Paul while training. Infernape and Buizel must have seen it too, especially after what you did to stop them. It showed that you really care."

"Really?" said Ash. "I still don't know what kind of welcome back I'll get when I show up at the lab."

"Hmmm," said Brock. "Maybe you should send Tyranitar first? Then, Tyranitar can vouch for you before you make your apology."

"Okay," said Ash.

"What about the Champions' League?" asked Mrs. Ketchum. "Do you still want to compete?"

Ash thought for a minute before speaking. "I don't know if I _can_ still compete," he said finally. "My Pokemon might be just like Misty or May or Gary. They might not even want to be on my team anymore. Even if they do, they might not want to compete. If they do, we lost a lot of training time by training someone else's way, and they might be out of shape. But... I don't want to back out now. This will be my best tournament so far, and I still want to take this chance. So I guess... if I can still battle in the Champions' League, I will."

Brock was happy to see Ash acting more like himself again, even in his preoccupied state. He kept conversing with his good friend, glad that Ash had finally come to his senses. Mrs. Ketchum, by contrast, was slightly quieter. She had hoped that this horrible ordeal would at least delay her impending confession to her son, but from the looks of things, her confession would only be harder to make. _Oh well_, she thought, _he'll find out what I need to tell him sooner or later anyway...

* * *

_

Later, when the sun had almost fallen, Ash, Brock, and Tyranitar went over to Professor Oak's lab to give Ash a chance to redeem himself. As Brock had suggested, Tyranitar approached the rest of Ash's Pokemon before Ash himself did. Ash watched with Brock, hidden in the trees. "Good luck, Tyranitar," Ash said as his newest Pokemon went out to meet the others.

Tyranitar plodded into the clearing, calling everyone loudly in Pokemon speech. One by one, the other Pokemon shuffled over, and Ash could see that most of their eyes were drooping. Squirtle almost pulled into its shell when it came in front of Tyranitar, Gliscor lay down on the ground, and Corphish rubbed its eyes with its claws. Apparently, they had all been resting, taking a break from the rigorous training through which Ash had put them. For the first time in weeks, Ash was anything but angry about this.

Tyranitar started gesturing and talking in Pokemon speech to the others, who were watching this display raptly. Ash figured that this must be the part about him. _Tyranitar must be telling them about the time in the cave, and the run, and the berries, and how I caught it_, thought Ash.

Bayleef started talking happily and triumphantly to those around it, apparently satisfied with Tyranitar's story. Others, however, like Sceptile and Noctowl, still seemed unconvinced. They started what sounded suspiciously like an argument, where they seemed to be dismissing Bayleef's acceptance of Tyranitar's story and posing serious questions to Tyranitar.

Pikachu quickly got in the middle, trying to break up the argument before it got out of hand. From its tone of voice, it was difficult to discern whose side it was on. _Come on, Pikachu_, Ash thought desperately, remembering his dream the previous night, _please don't be mad at forever. We're best friends, remember?_

After Pikachu had finished, Tyranitar started speaking again. Though some others seemed to really doubt what it was saying, they all kept their mouths shut. After a little while, Tyranitar started stopped speaking to the general audience, and started addressing individual Pokemon. Gliscor was first to be addressed, followed by Charizard, Squirtle, Quilava, Primeape, and Sceptile. With each Pokemon to be addressed directly by Tyranitar, the group's expressions softened, until even the most reluctant ones seemed to be willing to test Tyranitar's sentiments.

Then, after a hesitation, Tyranitar started talking to Infernape. _Cut it out, Tyranitar!_ thought Ash. _Infernape's looking for a reason to fight you!_ However, Tyranitar looked as though it wouldn't have listened even if it had heard Ash. It resolutely stood its ground as the monkey-like Pokemon stepped forward menacingly. All the while, it kept talking. Miraculously, Infernape's expression seemed to change as it walked, its anger dissolving and pain replacing it. Still, as Tyranitar continued its speech Infernape stepped forward until the two Pokemon were right in front of each other. Infernape raised its fist, ready to attack, but Tyranitar made no move to defend itself. It just said something else to Infernape, which sounded like a question.

Suddenly, Infernape lowered its fist, broke down, and started crying. Its ill will towards Tyranitar seemed to evaporate on the spot, and it gave its surprised would-be adversary a hug. Ash then understood what was going on between the two of them. Infernape had resented Tyranitar because it saw the latter as getting between it and its trainer. Remembering when Tyranitar had first showed up, Ash recalled that he had been working with Infernape at the time. It had been a sensitive time for Infernape, as it had been trying to prove its value to Ash beyond any doubt. Now, however, Infernape's suspicions had been proven wrong. Tyranitar was trying its hardest to mend the rift that had grown up between Ash and Infernape.

After the two Pokemon had finished making up, Tyranitar motioned for Ash to come out of the bushes. Ash took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Here goes nothing," he mumbled to himself. He stepped out of the bushes, coming face to face with his Pokemon.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Sorry about the wait for this chapter. It was another one that took me a while to write. This chapter and the next are really part of one unit, but it would be too long for a single chapter. The main challenge was figuring out what to put in this chapter and what to save for the next one. It really took me a while this time, but the next chapter will be up a little more quickly.**

**Also, I know I said before that I was enabling anonymous reviews, but I couldn't figure out how to do it. (Oops!) But now, I really did enable anonymous reviews, so even if you're not signed in, bring 'em on!**

**So a surprise from a friend is helping to pull Ash out of his hole. Now, he has to face his whole team of Pokemon and ask for their forgiveness. Will he get it?**


	12. Amends to Friends

Chapter 12: Amends to Friends

When Ash stepped into view, the relatively calm atmosphere vanished in an instant. Ash's Pokemon, who had become relaxed during Tyranitar's speech, suddenly became very anxious. Charizard flexed its wings and claws, while Totodile shifted its feet trying to calm its nerves.

"Hey, guys," said Ash to his Pokemon. They were all caught off guard by their trainer's tone of voice, which was neither the sharp, caustic voice they had been hearing lately nor his old, joyous voice. Rather, it was extremely heavy and apologetic. "I know I messed up training you guys over the last few weeks. I'm sorry, I just..." He sighed, holding back tears. "I guess I just lost track of how I'm supposed to be you guys' friend too."

Gliscor suddenly interrupted, asking Ash a question in Pokemon speech. It was a hard question to answer, but Ash did his best.

"I don't know if I'll compete in the Champions' League. That's up to you guys. I was always trying to get that far, but I can't compete if you guys don't want to." Nobody said anything. Ash's Pokemon just kept staring at their trainer, still visibly nervous. "Please, guys," Ash continued, "I don't want to train you guys like I did lately. I want you as my friends more than anything." Still, his Pokemon looked anxious. Tears started hitting the ground at his feet. "I really mean it, you guys," he continued. "Please believe me." Casting around desperately for something to say, he added, "I promise I won't make you guys train anymore. If you still want to train, I'll help you, but if you don't... you don't have to. Please, guys, I'm really sorry. I just want you back as my friends." A fresh wave of tears escaped his eyes, and he stood there crying, not having anything else to say.

Suddenly, something jumped up to Ash's chest level, and he raised his arms reflexively to catch something yellow. "Pikachu!" he said, hugging his best friend. "It's great to be back!" Emboldened by Ash's friendliness toward Pikachu, the other Pokemon went up to see Ash one by one. Ash apologized to each one individually, giving his assurance that he would never push them so hard again.

Last in line was Infernape. "Infernape," said Ash, "I really need to say sorry to you. I should've seen how you were trying to show off for me. But I know you're really strong, even if I haven't been showing it." He hugged Infernape, then turned back to the group, giving a weary smile. "What do you guys say we take a break for a couple of days?" His team gave a heartfelt assent.

* * *

The apology to his Pokemon was difficult for Ash. Even though it was absolutely necessary to begin the healing, Ash was making enormous concessions by not requiring his Pokemon to train. However, Ash had other apologies that would prove just as difficult: the ones he would make to Gary, Misty, and May. After sleeping through the morning after making up with his Pokemon, he decided to head over to the lab first to say his piece to Gary. Then, he would call each of the girls, who had both returned to their homes.

After dropping by Professor Oak's lab and assuring the professor and Tracey that he was discontinuing Roger's training program, he went upstairs to talk to Gary. He knocked on his former rival's door.

"Yeah?" called Gary.

"Hi, Gary, it's Ash. Can I talk to you?"

Gary opened his door, revealing a few half-packed suitcases and boxes. "Okay. What do you want?"

"Gary, I'm really sorry about blowing you off like I did. I know you were just trying to get me away from training for a little while. It's probably what I needed too."

Gary paused. "That's okay. You went a little crazy about training. I remember being like that too."

"Yeah." Relieved that Gary had forgiven him, Ash asked, "So why are you packing?"

"Well, Ash, I'm the new Viridian City gym leader. I need to get settled in."

"Congrats! I can't stay that long, I need to call Misty and May, but good luck! Anyone challenging your gym should watch out!"

"Thanks. Good luck in the Champions' League. I won't be able to make it there, but I'll be cheering for you!"

After he and Gary had said their goodbyes, Ash headed back home to use his phone. Ash was glad that Gary was willing to forgive him, but his nerves built up again as he walked toward his house. _Gary used to train something like this, so he _would _understand_, Ash thought anxiously. _But Misty and May never did. And they had to put up with me every day, while Gary didn't. What'll they say when I call them?_

By the time he was back home, Ash only felt fear of the responses he would get after calling his friends. His hand shook as dialed the number for the Cerulean City Gym. He almost hoped that Misty was in the middle of a battle so that he wouldn't have to talk to her. Apparently, she was not, though, as her face appeared on the view screen, looking slightly cold.

"Hi, Ash," said Misty tonelessly.

"Hey, Misty, I'm really sorry about how I treated you lately," said Ash. "I was thinking too much about the Champions' League and beating Paul. I didn't mean to be such a jerk, especially when you came here to help me."

"That's alright," said Misty, still not smiling. For some reason, she looked nervous too. "I have a confession to make," she continued.

"What?"

"I wanted to beat Paul as much as you did for a while."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was still really hurt from what Paul did to my sisters, so I was training all the Pokemon as hard as you were. May called me out, but it took a while for me to see that she was right."

Ash chuckled sadly. "So we both messed up, I guess."

"Yeah. How are your Pokemon?"

"Okay, I guess. I said sorry to them, but I'm not sure they really accepted it yet. I had to promise not to make them train."

"I can come back in a few days and help train your Water Pokemon."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Yes, Ash, that's what friends are for. Besides, maybe your Pokemon would rather train with me."

"Thanks a bunch, Misty."

"No problem. See you later!"

"Bye!"

Ash gave a small smile as he hung up the phone. The talk with Misty made two down and one to go. Still, if May had been the one to set Misty straight, would she be as forgiving as the other two had been? Ash nervously dialed the number for the Petalburg City Gym and waited. A man with short black hair appeared on the view screen. It was Norman, the father of May and Max.

"Hello, what—oh, hi Ash," said Norman. He looked a little surprised to be talking to Ash. "How are you?"

"Okay, just taking a break from training," said Ash.

"Oh yes, you're in the Champions' League too. May and Max told me."

"Speaking of May, is she there? Can I talk to her?"

"Sure. I'll get her." Norman walked away from the phone, and Ash found himself crossing his fingers. After a short wait, May's angry face appeared on the view screen.

"What do you want?" May demanded.

"I'm sorry I treated you the way I did. I was so wrapped up in training, I wasn't thinking about anyone else."

"You're _sorry_? Sorry doesn't cut it! After the Grand Festival, I didn't go home to celebrate with Mom and Dad just so I could help you with your training. Then I had to watch you treat everyone else like crap: me, Misty, Brock, your Pokemon... and when Gary invited us to watch his battle, you ripped on all of us! It was all about you and your stupid training all the time!"

"I really sorry! I know I was a jerk!"

"You don't get it, do you? _Sorry is not good enough!_ Goodbye!" May hung up the phone, leaving Ash devastated but not entirely surprised. Even though he'd half expected it, it was crushing to think that he might have one less friend rooting for him in the Champions' League...

* * *

When Ash announced to his Pokemon that he was ready to resume training them, he had wondered if any of them would still want training. Indeed, some of them did not. Infernape, who had been particularly affected by Roger's training program, did not wish to train hard and only risk Ash's displeasure. Torkoal, who had always had a sensitive streak, did not train either. Bayleef, who had always maintained to its closest friends (Quilava, Noctowl, and Totodile) that Ash's heart was still in the right place, preferred to spend time relaxing with its trainer. Snorlax, of course, always preferred eating and sleeping over exercise.

However, other Pokemon were much more inclined to train. Charizard and Primeape were both used to very intensive training routines, and they only took a couple of days off before starting again. Pikachu, in support of its best friend, started training right away, and worked extremely hard every day.

Most Pokemon, though, were somewhere in between. Sceptile, for instance, was averse to practicing except in sparring matches, which it used to show off its speed and power. Glalie devised its own routine, which seemed more for fun than for anything else. Bulbasaur would usually train a little bit, but never for long periods of time.

All of Ash's Water-types were busy with training, which everyone knew was because of Misty's reappearance at the lab. She took complete charge of them, training them all day, every day. The Water-types were all grateful for Misty's help, but none more so than Buizel, who would only train if it didn't think Ash was looking.

Ash, meanwhile, did not know how to solve his dilemma about the Champions' League. He wanted to compete, and every one of his Pokemon wanted a battle. However, with a few of his Pokemon not training and most of the rest training lightly or erratically, he was not even sure he would make it far enough to give each one of them a battle. Tyranitar still wanted to be in on the action too, and it trained every day, but Ash would not be moved; Tyranitar needed more battling experience before battling in an event of this magnitude.

However, even while training, the group found some time for diversions. One morning, Ash, Misty, and Brock walked into Professor Oak's lab to find the professor and Tracey watching TV. "Ah, hello!" said Professor Oak. "Care to join us?"

"Hi," said Ash. "What are you watching?" He took note of how unusual it was to see the professor in front of the TV in the morning.

Before Professor Oak could answer, however, a picture of Gary appeared of the screen, and the speakers blared, "Coming up next, we bring you Gary Oak facing his first test as Viridian City gym leader. Can the grandson of the famous Pokemon professor stand up to a tough trainer? Stay tuned to find out!"

"Wow," said Ash, "we get to see Gary taking on his first challenger! Count me in!" After Misty and Brock had agreed and sat down, Ash said, "I'm just gonna go outside and see if any of my Pokemon want to watch!"

Ten minutes later, Ash was watching an intense battle between Gary and a challenger, a girl who lookeda few years older than he was. Most of Ash's Pokemon would rather be outside than watch TV, but Pikachu, Totodile, Gabite, Gliscor, and Corphish had all joined their trainer and his friends to watch. It was exciting, but also a cliffhanger. Gary's Exeggutor went down to a Hippowdon, which Gary's Arcanine eventually manged to beat. Then, though, the girl's Houndoom took Arcanine out in a close battle. _Come on, Gary!_ thought Ash, _you can do this!_

Gary, with a determined look on his face, sent out his last Pokemon. "Flygon, I choose you!" Everyone watched in amazement as the final Pokemon pelted its tired opponent with a powerful Draco Meteor, knocking it out.

The girl, however, was not about to give up. She threw her last Pokeball onto the field, calling, "Audino, you're up!" A peculiar Pokemon landed on the field. It looked like a pink pig with torn ears and a fluffy tail.

"What kind of Pokemon is that?" Ash asked.

"I don't know," said Brock, surprising everyone. "I never saw it before."

"That's an Audino," explained Professor Oak. "It's from the Unova region, which is thousands of miles away from here. It's mainly used in nursing, much like Chansey and Blissey are used in this country."

Suddenly, Audino attacked Flygon with great gusto. "Oh, my!" said Professor Oak. That's Audino's Retaliation! Gary and Flygon will have a hard time after taking a hit like that!"

Gary, however, did a spectacular job. In a couple of minutes, Audino looked completely exhausted. "Okay, Flygon," called Gary, "Draco Meteor!" Another Draco Meteor hit Audino, knocking it out.

Raising a flag, the referee called out, "Audino is unable to battle! Flygon is the winner! And the winner of this match is Gary, the gym leader!"

* * *

For the rest of the morning, the whole group celebrated Gary's first triumph as a gym leader. Brock made a special stew in honor of the occasion, and everybody had seconds and thirds. Even with the food gone, everyone sat around talking. While Misty and Tracey badgered Brock for his recipe, Ash was talking with Professor Oak about the Unova region. "So _none_ of the Pokemon from here live in Unova too?" Ash asked the professor.

"That's correct, Ash," Professor Oak answered. "Unova is so far removed from here that the Pokemon there evolved differently."

"Wow..." Ash said. Then, turning to Pikachu, he asked, "Hey Pikachu, want to go to Unova after the Champions' League? We can see and battle all those new Pokemon, and maybe even catch some!"

Pikachu gave its wholehearted approval of this idea, but Professor Oak said, "Ash, does that mean you're not planning on winning the Champions' League? If you're about to challenge the national champion, it's not a good idea to go traveling overseas."

Ash thought about this. Finally, he said slowly, "Well, I kind of don't think I _can_ win with all of our training being so light. So I probably won't have a choice."

"You can start training now if you want," suggested Professor Oak. "You might be able to get that choice if you try hard."

"Sounds good, Professor!" said Ash. He called out to his Pokemon, "Hey guys, I'm gonna start training! Anyone want to join me?" About a dozen of Ash's Pokemon gathered around their trainer. "Okay, Tauros, practice your Take Down," said Ash. "Gliscor, practice Steel Wing. Charizard, Pikachu, you guys can spar together―" He stopped suddenly, aware of a Pokemon nudging his side. He turned to see Gabite with a longing, almost nostalgic look in its eyes. Gabite had not trained at all since Ash's apology, but it now looked very enthusiastic about something. "Hey, Gabite, what's up?" As an answer, Gabite opened its mouth, forming a sphere of light in its throat. "No, Gabite, knock it off!" warned Ash. "You can't practice Draco Meteor here!" But Gabite stopped the Draco Meteor before releasing it, and looked at Ash again. "Hey, I get it," said Ash. "You want to really learn to do a Draco Meteor, don't you? I bet seeing that Flygon use it brought back some memories." Gabite nodded, and Ash said, "Okay, I'll set up the rest of the Pokemon here and then we'll find a place to practice."

A few minutes later, Ash and Gabite had found a nice, deserted place to practice. "Okay, Gabite," said Ash, "focus your Dragon-type power in the center of your body!" A yellow sphere of light appeared in Gabite's throat as it concentrated. "Now, take aim and fire!" said Ash. Gabite released the attack high into the air. However, instead of exploding like a firecracker, the ball plummeted, blasting a crater in the ground. Gabite cringed, expecting a tirade from Ash. "That's okay," assured Ash. "You just need to try again."

They practiced and practiced Draco Meteor. Over and over, Ash directed Gabite on how to launch the attack correctly, and over and over, a failed Draco Meteor made a new crater on the ground. Even after Brock and Misty left for dinner and Professor Oak and Tracey were putting the Pokemon at the lab back inside their Pokeballs, Ash and Gabite practiced. The sun set completely, but still, the two of them did not stop. "Are sure you want to keep going?" Ash asked his Pokemon after night had fallen. Gabite gave a determined shout. "Okay," said Ash for the umpteenth time, "focus you Dragon-type energy in the center of your body." He watched the sphere of yellow light in Gabite's throat grow larger and larger. "Now, aim and fire!" Ash commanded. Gabite released the attack, and instead of just falling down again, the ball of light burst in midair, sending many smaller pieces earthward. The smaller pieces split into even smaller pieces, which hit the ground in quick succession. Yelling with delight, Ash hugged his Pokemon. "Great job, Gabite, you were awesome! That was a really good Draco Meteor!"

Ash was happier than he'd been in a long time. He had just helped Gabite master Draco Meteor, which it had been trying to do for months. Futrthermore, he had done it without scolding or yelling at Gabite. These were the moments that Ash had always liked best, when he was the helpful friend to his Pokemon, and it felt good to finally have them back.

* * *

**Author's Note: Welcome to another update that took a lot longer than I thought it would. I took my computer in for repairs, and it took a week to get it fixed. That's why I left out most of Gary's battle: I wanted to put this chapter up ASAP.**

**So Ash is picking up the pieces of his friendships, but some of those are missing, or just beyond his reach. May is having an especially hard time forgiving Ash. Will this breach ever be healed? Also, will the new, erratic training of Ash's Pokemon doom them in the Champions' League? And even if Ash does triumph, will he challenge Cynthia for the national championship or explore the faraway Unova region? The next chapter will be about the Champions' League itself, so the answers to all these questions are coming soon.**

**Finally, to all my readers in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving!**

**UPDATE (2/27/11): I just changed Tabunne to Audino now that the English name was revealed.**


	13. A Question of Confidence

Chapter 13: A Question of Confidence

Finally, it was time. After all the training, the setbacks, the tears, and the making up, it was finally time to leave for the Champions' League. At last, Ash, his mom, Brock, and Misty packed their bags to leave. Professor Oak went with them to support Ash, leaving Tracey in charge of the lab. So as not to overtrain before the league, the five of them left by bus a couple of days early to spend some relaxation time in Saffron City. Everybody did his or her own activities: Professor Oak spent time visiting old friends and colleagues, Mrs. Ketchum and Misty shopped for clothes, Ash and Brock were usually in video game arcades or playing one-on-one basketball, and everyone enjoyed the delicious food from the best restaurants.

It was a fun time, which should have calmed Ash's nerves about the approaching competition. However, especially as the time came to board the train to Goldenrod City, Ash's feelings of doubt came to the surface. He could not help thinking that his training was a resounding failure. He had started off with a training program that had led to a disastrous defeat at the hands of Roger. Then, he had adopted Roger's own training style, which had only caused a rift between him and his Pokemon. To buy back his Pokemon's trust, Ash had had to promise not to train his Pokemon against their will, and some of his Pokemon had not wanted any more training at that point. With a training period like this, would he stand any chance in the Champions' League?

Ash told Brock about his fears at the train station when nobody else was looking. His friend gave him a surprising answer: "You probably gave your Pokemon more than you think."

"But I spent all that time using Roger's training style instead of trying to fix mine, and some of my Pokemon didn't train since I made up with them," replied Ash.

"That doesn't mean your Pokemon didn't learn anything. You taught most of your Pokemon some great new moves. Even though you shouldn't have started yelling at your Pokemon all the time and obsessing about training hard, you and your Pokemon can all benefit from some new attacks."

Ash still disagreed with Brock, but he held his tongue as the train pulled into the station.

* * *

When the train arrived in Goldenrod City, Ash and his party found Dawn waiting for them, Piplup in her arms. "Hey, guys!" she called to her friends.

"Hey, Dawn, how's it going?" called Ash as she ran over. Piplup jumped down and started hugging his leg. "Hey, Piplup, how're you doing?"

"I'm great!" Dawn answered as Piplup raised a wing in agreement. "I can't wait to see you battle! You must be psyched!"

Ash waited a moment before saying, "Yeah, I sure am!" Then he motioned to everyone behind him. "You already know Brock and Professor Oak. This is my mom, and this is Misty. I started traveling with Misty the day I started my journey. Mom, Misty, this is Dawn. Brock and I traveled with her all over Sinnoh."

"Nice to meet you!" said Dawn enthusiastically. "I've heard so much about you!"

"And you too!" said Misty. "Hey, is that your Piplup? I love Water Pokemon." Piplup stood up and puffed its chest out importantly.

* * *

The six of them had a quick lunch in a nearby restaurant which served Champions' League competitors with no charge to them. Afterward, they headed for the Pokemon Center for orientation, where the crowd was incredible. Trainers and Pokemon League officials were everywhere, and the top trainers were swamped by avid fans looking for autographs.

After looking across the crowd, Mrs. Ketchum said nervously, "Okay, Ash, you go get your orientation information, we need to check into our hotel." She started walking away briskly.

"What's the matter with her?" Ash muttered to his friends.

"I don't know," answered Brock, "but maybe she's right. We'll take your stuff up to your room while you get oriented."

Ash waved goodbye to his friends and started making his way through the crowd. The first thing that caught his attention was the sound of two voices arguing. "I'm a good enough trainer already, so why do I need you?" came a voice Ash recognized as Paul's. Ash stopped, and turned around to look. Paul, a look of barely-controlled anger on his face, was talking to Roger, who looked annoyed.

"I already told you, Paul," said Roger, "your delusions about the world's best trainer won't get you anywhere. Your opponents have their strengths, too. You'd do yourself a favor by trying to adopt the ones that work."

"And I told _you_ already that I don't need to do anything differently. I can beat any trainer here. I don't have to learn from my opponents, or from you, or from anyone else."

"Look, Paul, you were my student for a long time. I'm risking my job to say this to you—"

"And you're wasting your time! It's not worth it! _I don't need your help!_"

"Fine!" exclaimed Roger, finally losing his temper. "Don't come crying to me after you lose!" He stormed away, leaving Paul unaffected.

Ash walked up to his rival. "Hey, Paul!" he called.

Paul looked at him. "Hi," he said tonelessly.

"Ready for the Champions' League?"

"Why are you asking me? I'm here."

"Paul," said another voice, "Ursaring and Magmortar just perfected their moves. Hi, Ash," said Reggie, walking up to the two trainers.

"Hey, Reggie!" said Ash. "How's training been for you guys?"

"A little rough at first, but we got through that," answered Reggie.

"Rough? How?"

"We had to rebuild some of our top teams, because Paul released his Honchkrow."

Ash was flabbergasted. Honchkrow had been one of Paul's strongest Pokemon. In his shock, he could only say, "What? When? Why?"

"Honchkrow was fell way short of my expectations," explained Paul. "It couldn't even hold its own against your Infernape and Torterra."

"So Paul released Honchkrow after the league was over," said Reggie.

Ash thought back to the night before his last battle with Paul, when he'd congratulated Paul on his semifinal victory. He remembered what Paul had been saying to Reggie when he, Brock, Dawn, Barry, and Palmer had dropped in on him. _Make sure Honchkrow's Aerial Ace in perfect, because Ash has an Infernape, and I don't want more trouble than I need._ "You didn't even train Honchkrow for that battle yourself!" Ash said accusingly to Paul.

"So?" said Paul.

"You knew that would be an important battle for Honchkrow, so you should have trained it!"

"Why? I don't always have that time for all of my Pokemon, so they need to learn their moves from anyone I tell them. It doesn't matter who it is. Honchkrow couldn't learn a good Aerial Ace from Reggie, so I released it."

"Then don't expect much in your battles! I definitely didn't release one of my strongest Pokemon to get ready for the Champions' League!"

"Maybe that's why I always beat you. You don't know when to let your Pokemon go." Paul started walking away. "I need to get some more training in."

"So good luck, Ash," said Reggie awkwardly. "I'll see you later." Reggie started walking away too.

"Bye, Reggie."

While walking towards the orientation booth in the Pokemon Center, Ash saw a number of other acquaintances, all of whom were much friendlier than Paul was. Lance, a member of the Elite Four in Kanto waved to Ash as he left the building. The same thing happened with Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four and his friend Volkner, the top gym leader in Sinnoh. Morty, the the leader of the Ecruteak City Gym in Johto, greeted him with a large smile and a hello, while Wattson, leader of the Mauville City gym in Hoenn, clapped on the back in congratulations. Brandon, the leader of the Kanto Battle Frontier, shook his hand.

Finally, while standing in line, he noticed another familiar face. It was Harrison, one of his old opponents in the Johto League three years ago. "Hey, Harrison!" he called.

Harrison turned around in line. "Hi, Ash, how've you been?" he said excitedly. He moved back a couple of places to shake Ash's hand.

"I've been great!" said Ash, accepting the handshake. They spent several minutes in line catching up. Ash told Harrison about his qualification through the Sinnoh League and his rivalry with Paul. Harrison told Ash how he had just won a brand-new Pokemon League competition in the Fiore region. The competition had been set up over the strong objections of the Pokemon Rangers, who had their headquarters in Fiore, and had historically been against traditional Pokemon battles. In the end, some diehards had thrown rocks at the hotel windows of Pokemon League officials, leading to arrests and a heavy police presence at the tournament.

"It takes a lot of guts to compete in a situation like that," said Ash admiringly. "Were you scared at all?"

"Yeah, a little," admitted Harrison. "But we all got through that." He started moving forward, as it was his turn to get his information. "By the way, Ash," he said, "do you have any relatives at the tournament? Are you related to— never mind," he finished, seeing the puzzled look on Ash's face. "See you later!"

"See you, Harrison!" said Ash.

After a few minutes, Ash went over to the next free official. She gave him a map of Goldenrod City, on which the important locations for the Champions' League were highlighted. Restaurants that gave discounts or even free food to Champions' League competitors were scattered throughout the city. The huge stadium, erected for the purpose of the league and seating a quarter of a million, sat in the south of the city, near the Pokemon Center. Smaller arenas, in place for practice battles under the supervision of official referees, stood around the main stadium. Ash took note of these; he had been trying to figure out how he would use each of his Pokemon in battle, even after getting eliminated from the tournament. _Well, now I don't have to win the whole thing, I guess_, Ash thought. It didn't make him feel any better.

The official also went over the schedule of the competition. It would take two whole months to finish the tournament. The battles for the first three rounds would finish a week before Christmas, and the last three would take place in January. To preserve the fairness of the competition, there would be no fewer than four rest days in between rounds, and all of the battles would be full battles. After getting his information, Ash thanked the official and walked out of the Pokemon Center.

When walking back, Ash got another surprise. Roger was still outside talking— but this time, he was talking to Norman, who was standing with May and Max at his sides. Not wanting Roger to see him, Ash waited until the ex-champion had left before walking up to Norman and his children. "Hey, May! Hey, Max! Hi, Norman!"

"Hey, Ash, how's it going?" said Max.

"Ash! Nice to see you!" said Norman, shaking Ash's hand.

May, however, was not nearly as warm toward Ash as her father and brother were. She said "Hi" without smiling, and did not look Ash in the eyes.

"May, cut it out!" said Norman. "Ash is your friend!"

"He _was _my friend before he started treating everyone around him, including me, like garbage!"

"You're acting like a four-year-old, young lady! Did you forget how important Ash has been to you?"

"Yeah. I just realize when he's too far gone to care about anyone else."

"We talked about this before. Weren't you listening? People make mistakes. Ash made his mistakes, but now you need to move on and forgive him."

"It's not that simple!"

"Fine! Leave us alone if you're going to be that way, because we're talking to Ash." May left with no goodbyes to anyone. Norman sighed. "Sorry about May," he said to Ash. "She's been angry at you ever since she came back."

"It's okay," said Ash sadly. "I was a total jerk for almost a month." To change the subject, he asked, "I saw you talking with Roger. Do you know him too?"

"Yeah," said Norman. "Long story."

"What about you, Max? Did you start training yet?"

"Yeah!" said Max. He held up a badge case with a jagged red Heat Badge inside of it. "I won this badge from Flannery in Lavaridge Town. You know, she remembers her battle with you. I think she wants to be your girlfriend!" Max teased.

"Hey, knock it off!" said Ash indignantly.

* * *

Ash was unusually quiet at dinner. While his mom, Professor Oak, Misty, Dawn, and Brock talked excitedly about the league, Ash was eating in silence while he stared into space. "Something wrong, Ash?" Mrs. Ketchum finally asked him.

"No..." said Ash, "it's just..."

"You're still nervous?" asked Brock sympathetically.

"Yeah..."

"Don't worry yet," said Misty. "Technically, the league didn't even start yet. The opening ceremony's tomorrow."

"I know..." said Ash. "But... I feel like I already blew my chance to win... and May's still not talking to me..."

"Don't count your Torchic before they've hatched, Ash," said Professor Oak. "You don't even know who your opponent is yet. Plus, you're only sixteen. You will have many more chances to compete in the Champions' League."

"And I'm sure that you and May will make up," said Mrs. Ketchum. "It'll only take some time."

Despite everyone's comforting words, Ash was quiet all evening. After saying good night to everyone, he went to get ready for bed. The opening ceremony was the next morning, and Ash needed his sleep. After he had finished brushing his teeth, Pikachu came into the bathroom, asking him a question. "Hey, Pikachu,"he said. "Yeah, I'm still really nervous, even though Mom and Professor Oak and everyone else are right. I can't let it get to me right now. Come on, Pikachu, let's get some sleep."

* * *

Ash's nerves did not go away in the morning. He barely ate any breakfast, and talked very little to anyone. His nerves only worsened as he walked to the stadium with his mother and friends. When the towering building loomed above them, he said, "Well, this is it, guys. Soon, I'm gonna know who I'm facing."

Everyone gave Ash a miniature pep talk, which cheered him up, but then, another boy ran right into Ash, and both of them fell over. It was Barry. "Hey," said Barry indignantly, "watch where you're standing, or you'll all get fined!"

"Barry?" said Ash. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey," said Barry again, "just because you took away my chance to compete here doesn't mean I can't still watch, does it?"

"Uh... no," said Ash.

"Good," said Barry with a smug smile, "because my dad's battling here, and I'm here to cheer him on!"

"Cool! So I might be battling your dad?"

"You will if you get far enough. You see, my dad's gonna take this tournament! That reminds reminds me, I need to find a front row seat! Catch you later!" And Barry sprinted away toward an entrance.

"What's with him?" asked Misty.

"Don't ask," said Brock.

"Well," said Ash, "I'll see you guys in a little while." He walked toward the competitors' entrance while everyone else went to get seats.

The opening ceremony was longer than the ceremony for any other league in which Ash had ever competed. After the trainers made their entrance and the runner (Avery, the newest member of the Johto Elite Four) had lit the eternal flame of Moltres, several Pokemon League officials stood up to give speeches. Among them was the Vice President of the Pokemon League in charge of operations in Fiore, who spoke about the divisive and groundbreaking league in that region. Roger also gave a speech, which made Ash clench his fists and his teeth in anger. Finally, when Mr. Goodshow, a small man with a long white beard, had finished speaking, the pairings for the first round were finally decided. Ash looked for his own picture, and found himself paired with a girl in her late teens, who had long, curly blond hair. Looking below their pictures, he saw that their match would be at one o'clock on the last day of the first round. _So that's my opponent_, thought Ash. _I'm just happy I have an extra week and a half to train._

* * *

Putting a face and a deadline to the challenge ahead had a very positive effect on Ash. The first thing he did after the ceremony was to look up his opponent on a computer in the Pokemon Center. His opponent's name was Marla, and she was a league champion in the Orre region. She also had a slight preference toward Fire-type Pokemon, which Ash kept in mind when putting together a team to battle her. Pikachu was going to be in his team, but Ash didn't want to use any of his other very powerful Pokemon yet; they would be much more useful later. Using two Water-types was a good bet, as long as they had different battling styles. _Totodile's good on attack, and Squirtle's good on defense_, thought Ash. _Okay, I'll use them both!_ Using this as a starting point, he put together his team.

Ash trained hard for his battle, and so did his Pokemon. Even though a couple members of his chosen team had been lax on training for the previous three weeks, their impending battle seemed to impress the need for getting serious on both of them. Ash thought it helped that he focused on his own attacks, and did not use any of the moves that Roger had advised. This was Ash's battle, not Roger's, and Ash would win it his own way.

Still, the results of some of his friends in the tournament were not encouraging. Even though he didn't watch any of their battles, he heard from others after his training sessions had finished. Barry's boast about his father winning the whole league was dashed almost immediately; on the first battling day, Palmer lost against David, a brain of the Orre Battle Frontier. Flint suffered an embarrassing loss to Cheryl, the league runner-up in the Nishito Region, while Volkner lost a close battle to Indira of the Fiore Elite Four. Harrison went down against Hillary of the Orre Elite Four, and Lance lost to Rachel, a Flying-type gym leader in Fiore.

However, some of Ash's friends still made it through the first round. Brandon defeated Dahlia of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier, Morty defeated Ben, another Fiore gym leader, Norman took out the Nishito League Champion, Karl, and Wattson beat Tucker of the Kanto Battle Frontier. Paul also got past the first round; to Ash's horror, he managed to defeat Karen, a member of the Elite Four in Johto.

Finally, however, it was Ash's turn. After over a week of training, with only two other first round battles to go, it was time for Ash to fight his battle. "You feeling alright?" Dawn asked him in the locker room right before the battle.

"Yeah," said Ash.

"Are you still nervous?" asked Brock.

"No," answered Ash. It was not a completely honest answer, but a wish for his nervousness to go away. Besides, he _was_ feeling better than he had before the opening ceremony.

"You'll be great!" said Misty. "We're all pulling for you, Ash."

"Thanks, Misty," said Ash.

A bell sounded throughout the stadium. It was the last call for seats. "Good luck, Ash!" everyone said one by one, and they all left.

Pikachu looked Ash in the eyes. Like its trainer, it was ready for a tough match. "Don't worry, Pikachu," Ash assured. "We're gonna win this one together. Let's show Paul and Roger and everyone else who thinks like them that we're the real deal!" Pikachu pumped its fist in the air and high-fived Ash with its other hand. Together, they walked into the arena to face their opponent. Marla looked just as determined as they were. "I'm gonna win this battle," Ash muttered to himself. "And I'm gonna win it _my_ way."

* * *

**Author's Note: After months of writing and planning this story, I finally bring Ash to the Champions' League! I had to make up a lot of stuff about the Pokemon World just for this chapter. It took some explaining, for example, that Fiore has a Pokemon League even though it doesn't have one in the Pokemon Ranger games. I had to make up the entire Elite Four, gym leaders, and league winners from Orre and Fiore, and another Battle Frontier in Orre. Nishito is a region west of Johto that I made from scratch.**

**So amid doubts about his training, reunions with friends, May's continued refusal to talk to him, and the ongoing rivalry with Paul, Ash is fighting his first battle in the Champions' League. He is determined to do it his own way, but will that work?**


	14. Down In Flames, Up In Smoke

Chapter 14: Down In Flames, Up In Smoke

The crowd cheered as the Ash and Marla stared each other down across the field. Each fan of the boy with the messy black hair and the girl with the neat blond curls shouted for his or her favorite trainer. With the aid of a microphone and many speakers around the stadium, the referee announced the start of the match. "This is a full six-on-six battle between Marla of Rosewood City and Ash of Pallet Town! The battle will continue until all of either trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle, with no time limit! Each trainer may substitute Pokemon at will! The trainer with the first attack will be randomly selected!" A virtual roulette wheel on the scoreboard started spinning. It was color-coded with red and green wedges. After about ten seconds, it stopped, with the pointer on a green wedge. "Ash will choose the first Pokemon!" announced the referee.

Ash had been thinking about his first choice when the wheel had been spinning. Marla's favorite type was Fire, but Ash wanted to save his Water Pokemon for later; if he sent out Squirtle or Totodile now, Marla could just use an Electric-type or Grass-type. However, Ash also knew that Fire-types tended to be very quick. If Marla liked Fire Pokemon, maybe her style was suited to using speed. Therefore, Ash decided to go with a strong defense. Throwing his first Pokeball, he shouted, "Torkoal, I choose you!"

Marla then released her first Pokemon. "Go, Probopass!" she said. A metallic Pokemon with a gray body appeared opposite Torkoal. The crown of its head and its very large nose, however, were bright red. Three miniature versions of itself, or "mini-noses," as Ash had heard them called, were attached to its body.

So Ash's theory about Marla and fast Pokemon was out the window. _I'll just have to hit Probopass as hard as I can and hope for the best_, Ash thought. "Torkoal, use Flamethrower!" he commanded. Torkoal spouted fire from its mouth, which scored a direct hit. Although Probopass wasn't giving an inch, it had to be feeling the effects of Torkoal's attack. "Now, Torkoal," called Ash, "Body Slam!" Torkoal jumped, and Ash waited eagerly for the low crunch that signified a successful Body Slam attack. However, a sound like a gong filled the stadium, and Ash's mouth dropped open as he saw Probopass, who looked completely unhurt from this attack.

"Probopass, use Stone Edge!" ordered Marla. Probopass filled the air around it with stones and directed them at Torkoal. Unable to block or dodge them, Torkoal screamed in pain as the stones hit it. Torkoal was thrown off Probopass' body, but luckily landed on its feet. "Now, Zap Cannon!" called Marla. Probopass formed a crackling sphere of electricity at the tip of its nose, and threw it right at Torkoal.

However, even after losing the initiative, Ash wasn't about to give up. "Torkoal, knock that Zap Cannon away with Flamethrower!" he ordered. Torkoal aimed its attack at the Zap Cannon, and sure enough, it managed to detonate Probopass' attack in midair, filling the arena with smoke.

"Flash Cannon!" shouted Marla.

_Oh yeah_, thought Ash, _Probopass can sense its opponents even when we can't see anything!_ "Torkoal, Iron Defense!" he commanded. This call was just in time. Torkoal retreated into its shell, and the Flash Cannon, which scored a glancing hit, ricocheted off harmlessly.

However, when the smoke had cleared, Probopass' mini-noses were hovering around Torkoal. "Use Stone Edge!" Marla ordered. Each of the three mini-noses hit Torkoal with sharp rocks.

Watching his Pokemon wince in pain, Ash grabbed Torkoal's Pokeball. He would have to use a different Pokemon. "Torkoal, return!" he called, pushing a button on the Pokeball.

Marla, however, had other ideas. "Now, Block!" she commanded. The mini-noses got between Ash and Torkoal, stopping Ash from recalling his Pokemon.

Torkoal looked over its shoulder to get a look at the mini-noses. Ash, though, ordered, "Don't look at the mini-noses, look at Probopass! Use Overheat!" Thankfully, Torkoal obeyed, ignoring the mini-noses and blasting Marla's Pokemon with a super-powerful jet of flames. Probopass was clearly in pain; its eyes convulsed, and the mini-noses fell out of the air, just as Ash had hoped. "Keep it up, Torkoal!" Ash encouraged his Pokemon. But Torkoal couldn't keep it up longer than a few seconds. It stopped its attack and fell to its knees, panting. "Torkoal, return!" said Ash, trying to recall it again. However, the mini-noses were back up, keeping the Block in place.

"Use Zap Cannon!" commanded Marla. All three mini-noses fired the attack at Torkoal, who flew threw the air and landed right in front of Probopass. "Now, Flash Cannon!" yelled Marla. Probopass itself fired a burst of metallic light at Torkoal at a close range. Torkoal went sailing threw the air again, this time in the opposite direction. It landed on its back next to the mini-noses, which were moving back towards Probopass.

The referee saw that Torkoal was not about to get back up, so he raised a red flag. "Torkoal is unable to battle!" he said. "Probopass is the winner!"

Ash recalled his fallen Pokemon. "Thanks, Torkoal," he said to the Pokeball. "You did your best." He looked up to see Probopass disappearing in a flash of red light. Marla was obviously saving it for later.

Marla didn't even wait for Ash to choose a Pokemon before throwing another Pokeball of her own. "Go, Flareon!" she said. It looked like a bright red dog, except that it had a mane and a fluffy tail of yellow fur that made its body look like a fire.

_So Marla's using a Fire Pokemon_, Ash thought. _Time for a Water-type._ "Squirtle," he called, throwing a Pokeball, "I choose you!" Squirtle emerged from its Pokeball and faced its opponent. "Squirtle, Water Gun!" Ash called. Squirtle aimed a jet of water at its opponent.

"Flareon, dodge that and use Quick Attack!" ordered Marla. Sidestepping Squirtle's attack, Flareon rushed forward, barreling into its opponent. Squirtle was knocked backward, and landed on its stomach. "Now, Shadow Ball!" called Marla. Flareon opened its mouth, forming a dark purple ball of energy which it threw at Squirtle.

"Quick, Squirtle, use Rapid Spin!" shouted Ash. Squirtle retreated into its shell and spun around, deflecting the Shadow Ball. "Turn that into a Hydro Pump!" ordered Ash. Squirtle kept spinning, and shot jets of water out of every opening in its shell.

"Dodge it, Flareon!" yelled Marla. Flareon managed to avoid taking the attack head-on, but a few gallons of water went in its direction anyway. Flareon winced, feeling pain from the Hydro Pump. "Quick Attack!" Marla commanded. Flareon sprinted toward the still-moving Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Withdraw!" ordered Ash as Flareon came closer. Squirtle pulled its arms, legs, and head into its shell again, and Flareon's attack sent it flying. Squirtle, however, was unhurt, and landed on its feet.

However, as Ash's Pokemon was still coming out of its shell, Marla called, "Flareon, Shadow Ball!" The Shadow Ball hit Squirtle in the legs, sending it flying upward, but not so far backward. "Now, Flareon, use Hyper Beam!" commanded Marla. Her Pokemon shot a yellow-orange beam of light at its opponent, who was blasted even higher into the air. Squirtle landed on the ground with a loud thud.

The referee raised its red flag again. "Squirtle is unable to battle!" he announced. "Flareon is the winner!"

Ash recalled Squirtle, thanked it, and put the Pokeball away. He knew his opponents would be tough, but he was not ready for this. He had already lost two Pokemon, while Marla's team was intact. Fighting the impulse to run, he threw a third Pokeball into the arena. It was a risky shot, but he'd have to take it. "Totodile, I choose you!" he called. Totodile appeared in front of Ash, doing a little dance before facing its opponent.

"Flareon, return!" called Marla across the field. She put Flareon's Pokeball away, and threw another out, shouting, "Go, Starmie!"

Ash understood his opponent's decision. After using a Hyper Beam, Flareon was temporarily immobile, leaving it wide open to a devastating Water-type attack from Totodile. She was now using a Starmie, which Ash knew, thanks to a tip from Misty, was also part Psychic-type. Since Water attacks wouldn't work very well, and Starmie's Psychic attacks would work just fine, Marla was obviously trying to use a small type advantage to sneak in a victory. Ash smiled; he had a nice counter-strategy for that. "Totodile, Bite!" he commanded. Totodile jumped, and clamped its jaws around one of Starmie's arms.

But Marla yelled, "Starmie, use Rapid Spin!" Starmie started spinning around faster and faster, with Totodile just barely holding on. Ash's Pokemon eventually flew off its opponent's arm, landing hard on its back. "Now, use Power Gem!" Marla called. Energy gathered in the giant ruby at the center of Starmie's body. Quickly, Starmie threw the ball of energy at Totodile.

"Totodile, return!" shouted Ash, calling back his Pokemon before the attack hit. Squirtle was already down, and Ash did not want to risk losing his other Water-type. He threw another Pokeball. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" The stubborn dinosaur Pokemon with the giant seed on its back materialized, and it was glaring at Satrmie. He saw Marla and Starmie staring down the field at him, waiting for him to make a move, and he obliged. "Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" he commanded. Bulbasaur sent sharp, rapidly spinning leaves at Starmie, one after the other.

"Starmie, Rapid Spin!" ordered Marla. Starmie spun around again, deflecting the leaves.

"Solarbeam!" yelled Ash before Starmie was finished. _If I can land this hit_, he thought, _it'll just take a little more to beat Starmie._

Watching Bulbasaur charge up for its next attack, Marla commanded, "Starmie, use Power Gem!"

Bulbasaur, who was concentrating on charging its powerful Solarbeam, did not move, and took the full force of Starmie's attack. It stood firm, however, and Ash yelled, "Now!" Bulbasaur released its attack, aiming right at Starmie.

"Dodge that and use Rapid Spin!" shouted Marla. Starmie dodged to the side and started spinning again. It looped around Bulbasaur, hitting it in the back.

Bulbasaur got up, looking distinctly tired. _So attacking it head-on won't work_, thought Ash. "Bulbasaur, use Sleep Powder!" he called. Bulbasaur produced a cloud of glistening white powder from its bulb, which would make its opponent go straight to sleep.

"Starmie, use Psychic to send it back!" Marla ordered. The ruby suddenly glowed blue, and the cloud of Sleep Powder halted. Then, the cloud made its way back to its originator. It engulfed the surprised Bulbasaur, whose eyes widened in shock and then began to droop. "Now," Marla continued, "use Psychic directly on Bulbasaur!" Starmie lifted its opponent into the air, squeezing it with its mind. Bulbasaur was struggling, and in intense pain. Suddenly, Starmie slammed Bulbasaur into the ground, where it stopped moving and did not get up.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Starmie is the winner! Since Ash has lost three Pokemon, we will take a ten minute break!"

"Bulbasaur, return," said Ash, recalling his third fallen Pokemon. "You did your best. Thanks, Bulbasaur."

Barely hearing the crowd, which was screaming louder than ever, Ash was walking back through the locker room with Pikachu at his side. "Of course," he said to himself, "I forgot. Bulbasaur's part Poison-type, so that Psychic attack must've hit it hard." How could he have forgotten? Roger had told him so in his critique of Ash's Pokemon.

"Ash?"

Hearing his name, Ash stopped and looked to the side. Misty, Brock, and Dawn were waiting for him. "Hey, guys," he said.

"You okay?" asked Misty. "I expected you to do a lot better."

"Yeah, so did I," said Ash. He paused. "I hate to to say it, but Roger gave me some good advice."

"Wait," said Dawn, "Roger as in the ex-champion?"

"Yeah," said Ash. He explained his encounters with Roger to Dawn, on Roger's cold training style and connection to Paul, his own brief estrangement from his friends (and his longer estrangement from May), and the plan to revamp Ash's battles.. "So I should've remembered that Bulbasaur was part Poison-type." he finished.

"And Torkoal probably would've beat Probopass if you'd used its Earthquake," said Brock. "See what I told you before we got the train here? Roger's a pretty heartless trainer, but he really knows his battle strategy."

Ash thought. As much as he didn't want to believe it, Brock was right. "That's what I was afraid of," said Ash. "But what if...? Hey, guys? I need to say something to my Pokemon." He pulled his Pokeballs from his belt, and called out his whole team. Pikachu was already out, of course, but Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Torkoal all appeared, looking battered. Totodile looked slightly bruised but in good spirits, while Gabite was completely unhurt. "I owe you guys an apology," said Ash, looking at the ground. "We're losing big. But I promise to make it up to you guys," he continued, looking up. "There's just something I need from you." His team looked at him nervously, and he took a deep breath before continuing. "Remember the moves I was teaching you? The ones that Roger came up with? We're gonna need them to get out of this hole." His Pokemon looked as though their worst fears had been confirmed. "Don't worry," said Ash reassuringly. "This isn't like last time. I'll talk to you guys before teaching you _any_ new attacks, I promise." His Pokemon looked relieved.

Ash returned his three defeated Pokemon to their Pokeballs, but he needed to say something else to Pikachu, Gabite, and Totodile. They all looked nervous, but not despairing. "Don't worry, I believe in you guys," Ash reassured them. "We're just gonna have a long battle." Turning to his best friend, he continued, "You're up first, Pikachu. Take out as many of Marla's Pokemon as you can." He turned to the other two. "Do you guys remember any of Roger's moves? Gabite, show me an Iron Head!" Gabite charged forward into a nearby locker, putting a dent into it. "Nice! Totodile, show me a Slash!" Totodile swiped the air with its claws, making a loud whooshing sound. "Great job! Okay, guys, let's go back out." After his friends had wished him luck one more time, he left the locker room.

"There's Ash's determination," said Brock.

"But will it be enough for him to win?" wondered Misty aloud.

* * *

Ash walked back onto the field. His body was numb from nerves, but his mind was completely clear. He had no idea of just how hard his task would be, but he knew what to do.

After Marla had returned with a confident look on her face, the referee raised both flags and announced the continuation of the match. "This match will resume now! Ash will have the first attack!"

"Go, Pikachu!" commanded Ash. Pikachu ran onto the field, ready to fight.

Marla then called out her next Pokemon. "Go, Mr. Mime!" she called, throwing a Pokeball. A Mr. Mime, about the same height as Mimey, emerged from the Pokeball. It faced Pikachu, leering at its diminutive opponent.

"Pikachu, let's start things off with Quick Attack!" ordered Ash. Pikachu ran forward, charging into Mr. Mime before it could move.

"Mr. Mime, Psybeam!" shouted Marla.

"Pikachu, Agility!" yelled Ash. Mr. Mime shot a beam of psychic energy at its opponent, but Pikachu dodged the attack. It started running around the field, constantly changing direction; although its speed had already been formidable, it became impossible for the eye to track its movement.

"Mr. Mime, Barrier!" shouted Marla. If her Pokemon could not hit Pikachu right now, Mr. Mime would have to defend itself and wait for an opening.

However, Ash commanded, "Quick Attack!" Pikachu darted around Mr. Mime's Barrier and barreled into its opponent again.

"Barrier again!" yelled Marla. "Try to encircle yourself!"

"Pikachu," commanded Ash, "Iron Tail, and make it count!" Pikachu ran forward, and as Mr. Mime completed its next Barrier, Pikachu jumped, caught the top of the Barrier, flipped over it, and brought its tail down on Mr. Mime's head. "Now use Thunder!" called Ash. Pikachu blasted its opponent with a powerful bolt of electricity at point-blank range. Although Mr. Mime was still standing afterward, its knees looked wobbly.

"Use Fire Punch!" ordered Marla in desperation.

Mr. Mime raised a fist encircled in flames to punch Pikachu, but Ash shouted "Quick Attack!" Pikachu landed its third Quick Attack before Mr. Mime could fight back, and the Psychic-type fell over backwards.

"Mr. Mime is unable to battle!" announced the referee, holding up a green flag. "Pikachu is the winner!"

Marla recalled Mr. Mime, stunned by this turn of events. Before, Ash's Pokemon were hardly putting up fights, but Pikachu had just dominated Mr. Mime, winning without a scratch. What was going on? However, Ash would not have it so easy with its next adversary. Throwing a Pokeball, Marla called, "Go, Magnezone!" A bizarre metallic Pokemon appeared on the field. The evolved form of Magneton, it looked as though the center of its body had swelled up.

_This'll be tough_, thought Ash. _None of Pikachu's attacks will do much damage._ "Pikachu, you want to keep fighting?" Ash asked his Pokemon. Pikachu bent low and shot sparks from its cheeks, indicating that it wanted to stay in the battle.

"Magnezone, use Thunder Wave!" ordered Marla. A blue bolt of electricity shot at Pikachu from its opponent's magnets.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" called Ash. Pikachu avoided the attack, and landed a hit on Magnezone. "Now use Thunder!" Ash commanded. Pikachu hit Magnezone with electricity just like it had with Mr. Mime. However, it had far less effect now.

"Magnezone, Swift!" called Marla. Pikachu was still very close, and Magnezone sent an attack of star shapes right at it.

"Pikachu, use Agility to get out of there!" shouted Ash. Pikachu dashed away from its opponent, and tried to get out of the line of fire. However, Magnezone produced more stars, which followed Pikachu as it circled to field. Unable to avoid all of them, Ash's Pokemon took a hit.

"Now, Magnezone, Gyro Ball!" commanded Marla, pressing the attack. Her Pokemon started spinning around rapidly and zoomed forward, slamming right into Pikachu. The electric mouse flew through the air and landed on the opposite side of the field.

"Pikachu, go in for another Quick Attack!" shouted Ash. The cycle started again, with Pikachu scoring hits with Quick Attack and Thunder, and Magnezone countering with a close-range Swift. "Try to block it with Iron Tail!" commanded Ash. This proved just as unsuccessful as trying to dodge. There were simply too many stars to block with an Iron Tail, and Pikachu was hit anyway.

"Now, use Thunder Wave!" shouted Marla triumphantly, watching Pikachu get back on its feet. If Magnezone could land this hit, Pikachu would be in severe trouble; it would lose its speed, which was its main advantage in this battle.

"Pikachu, spin and use Thunder!" yelled Ash. Pikachu did so, and instead of releasing one bolt of electricity, it released several smaller ones. They formed a counter shield, which blocked the attack. "Now, Quick Attack!" called Ash, watching Marla's shocked face. He smiled; now, he even had a plan to stop Magnezone's Swift. He watched the Quick Attack hit, and ordered another Thunder. Then he waited for his opponent to call for a Swift.

Sure enough, Marla commanded, "Magnezone, another Swift!"

"Pikachu," ordered Ash, "Quick Attack to get behind Magnezone!" In the blink of an eye, Pikachu slipped behind its shocked opponent. Magnezone tried to get out of the way, but it was too slow; its eyes squinted in pain as it was hit by its own attack. "Pikachu, give it your best Thunder!" Ash called. Pikachu hit Magnezone with yet another bolt of electricity. Although none had done much good by itself, the damage was piling up. After this latest attack hit home, Magnezone fell over, unconscious, its three eyes blank.

"Magnezone is unable to battle!" called the referee. "Pikachu is the winner!"

The crowd was now cheering even louder than it had when Bulbasaur had been knocked out. Ash had almost managed to even the score after being three Pokemon down. If he could actually win this battle, it would be a first in Champions' League history.

Marla, however, was not pleased at all. After winning herself a hard-earned lead, she had somehow let Pikachu almost nullify it by itself. It was time to get serious about beating this impudent yellow mouse. Throwing another Pokeball, she called, "Go, Camerupt!" Marla's final Pokemon to be revealed was red, four-legged, and hulking. It had three blue circles on each side, and two volcano-shaped humps on its back.

"Pikachu, time to switch out!" Ash called to his Pokemon. Pikachu, ran back to Ash's side gratefully. Having Pikachu fight Camerupt wasn't worth the risk. As a Ground-type, it would be unhurt by Pikachu's electric attacks, and Pikachu was winded anyway. _But I was right_, thought Ash, _she's using another Fire Pokemon! I'm glad I saved Totodile for now._ "Totodile, I choose you!" shouted Ash, his voice brimming with a new confidence, as he threw a Pokeball. Totodile appeared for a second time, ready to get back into the fray.

"Camerupt, Earthquake!" commanded Marla. Her Pokemon sent shock waves through the ground, and Totodile was powerless to avoid the underground shock waves.

"Totodile, Scary Face!" called Ash. Totodile gave its opponent a death stare; it looked frozen by fear. "Now, Waterfall!" Totodile darted forward, its body sheathed in water. Right before crashing into Camerupt, it stopped short, hitting its foe with the water.

However, by the time Totodile had reached its opponent, Marla had shouted, "Defense Curl!" Camerupt had already curled up tightly, and it was hurt less than it would have been otherwise. "Now, Camerupt," she ordered, "Double-Edge!" Camerupt charged forward, bearing down on its much smaller opponent:

"Totodile, Slash!" yelled Ash. Holding its ground, Totodile swiped at its adversary with its sharp claws. Camerupt roared in pain, smoke billowing from its nostrils.

"Camerupt, return!" called Marla, putting the Fire-type back inside its Pokeball. She couldn't take the chance of losing Camerupt just yet; she might still need it to defeat Pikachu. She chose another Pokemon, the only one left that was not at a type disadvantage against Totodile. "Go, Starmie!"

Starmie and Totodile faced each other again, but Ash immediately recalled his Pokemon. After Totodile's near loss to Starmie earlier, he did not want to pit Totodile against it again. Reluctantly, he said, "You're up again, Pikachu!"

"Starmie, return!" called Marla. She had witnessed too much of Pikachu's phenomenal speed to allow this matchup. Adding said speed to a type advantage would likely make Ash's first Pokemon unstoppable. However, she had Pikachu back in the arena, and she intended to keep it there. "Go, Probopass!" she called, throwing another Pokeball. Probopass returned to the arena, ready to battle again.

"Pikachu, use Thunder!" Ash commanded immediately.

But Marla paid no heed to the bolt of electricity headed for her Pokemon. "Probopass, Block!" she yelled. Although taking the hit, Probopass got between Pikachu and Ash, cutting off its escape.

_You snooze, you lose_, thought Ash. _You think I want to switch Pokemon?_ "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" he ordered.

"Stone Edge!" called Marla. The attack with sharp stones hit its mark and took both Ash and Pikachu by surprise. It wasn't the speed or the move choice that surprised them; it was the direction. The mini-noses had detached themselves from Probopass, and they had initiated the Stone Edge.

"Pikachu, get away from the mini-noses!" Ash commanded, panic in his voice. "Use Agility!"

"All mini-noses, use Zap Cannon until you hit Pikachu!" ordered Marla. She smirked as they followed her commands. Pikachu was trapped in this battle, it was on the run, and it couldn't keep going forever.

"Keep dodging, Pikachu!" Ash encouraged his best friend. "I'll think of something!" While Pikachu dodged one Zap Cannon after another, Ash frantically brainstormed, trying to think of a way out of the battle. _Pikachu can't keep this up much longer. Can it stay still long enough to attack the mini-noses or Probopass? No, they're timing their attacks too well. What can I do? Wait... will the same thing work as with Magnezone? I'll have to try it._ "Pikachu, Quick Attack to get behind Probopass!" he shouted, crossing his fingers in his pockets. Pikachu dodged just as each of the mini-noses readied a new attack. They all aimed and launched them, but Pikachu had performed its instructions admirably: it was between Probopass and the mini-noses, and two of the Zap Cannons hit Probopass on its flank. "Yes!" cheered Ash, pumping his fist into the air.

However, his moment of triumph was short-lived. Pikachu, who was thoroughly exhausted, stopped to catch its breath a split second too soon. The third Zap Cannon hit its intended target, knocking Pikachu back a few feet, where it came face to face with Probopass.

Ash and Marla were both unhappy about this turn of events. Ash had hoped that his Pokemon could avoid the Zap Cannons altogether, and now, the star Pokemon of his current team had a significant chance of losing the battle. Marla was upset that she had fallen for the same trick twice in the same battle. Now, with their paralyzed Pokemon facing off only inches away from each other, they called their final moves.

"Thunder!"

"Stone Edge!"

The two attacks collided, exploding like an especially powerful bomb. Electrically charged dust and gravel filled the air, blocking both Pokemon from view. Both trainers shielded their eyes, waiting for the dust and smoke to clear.

* * *

**Author's Note: So here's the first battle chapter in the Champions' League. I've been hoping to finish the last few chapters quickly, because I was planning to post a special chapter for Christmas. Now, though, that seems kind of impossible...**

**So after a poor start, Pikachu took out two of Marla's Pokemon. Now, however, Pikachu and Probopass are locked in a duel, and it is unclear who, if anyone, is the victor. Did Pikachu win or lose against Probopass? And can Ash still pull this battle out of the fire? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out!**


	15. Gabiting the Bait, Making the Switch

Chapter 15: Gabiting the Bait, Making the Switch

The thick cloud of dust receded, with occasional sparks still going off on the ground. Pikachu and Probopass were both lying on their backs, both heavily bruised and covered in dust.

The referee raised his flags in both hands. "Probopass and Pikachu are both unable to battle!" he declared.

As Marla recalled her fallen Probopass, Ash ran over to Pikachu. "Pikachu!" he called to his best friend. Pikachu sat up with much effort as its trainer reached it. "You were awesome, Pikachu," complimented Ash. "You deserve a rest." He returned to his side of the arena carrying Pikachu, placed his Pokemon at the side of the stadium, and returned to face his opponent. Although she was still one Pokemon ahead, she looked unhappy.

Marla took a Pokeball from her belt and threw it, yelling, "Go, Flareon!" Flareon appeared facing Ash, ready to battle again.

Ash thought about his choice. Should he use Totodile or Gabite for this battle? _Totodile has a type advantage__—__ but so does Gabite_, he thought. _Gabite hasn't battled yet, either__—__ so I'll use it now!_ Having made his decision, Ash picked up Gabite's Pokeball and threw it, calling, "Gabite, I choose you!" Gabite materialized, watching Flareon closely.

To vent her frustrations about the last couple of battles, Marla made the first move. "Flareon, Quick Attack!" she ordered.

"Hold your ground, Gabite!" Ash called. Flareon completed its attack, knocking Gabite several feet back. However, Ash's Pokemon was holding its opponent's body close with its arms. "Now, Strength!" commanded Ash. Gabite struck back, hurling Flareon almost as far as it had been pushed.

Flareon landed hard on the ground, but got up immediately. "Use Shadow Ball!" called Marla. Flareon tried blasting Gabite with another attack.

"Use Strength to send it right back!" shouted Ash. Gabite swatted the Shadow Ball with its claws and sent it sailing right back toward its originator.

However, before Gabite had even finished, Marla had ordered, "Now, Flareon, Quick Attack!" Flareon caught its opponent completely off guard, scoring another hit and knocking Gabite backwards again. "Hyper Beam!" called Marla. Flareon now sent a beam of yellow-orange light at Gabite.

"Quick," yelled Ash frantically, "use Dig!" Just in time, Gabite managed to get underground. The Hyper Beam hit the ground harmlessly.

Marla pressed the attack, commanding, "Follow Gabite underground and use Overheat!" Flareon jumped into Gabite's hole, trapping its opponent in a tunnel of its own making.

"Turn around and use Iron Head!" screamed Ash at the top of his lungs, hoping his Pokemon could hear him. Gabite must have, because the next thing he saw was Flareon knocked violently out of the hole, where it landed, cowering, on the ground. "Now, Gabite, Draco Meteor!" he ordered. _Time to show a good Draco Meteor in battle_, he thought with a smile on his face. He was right. After reaching its peak height, the Draco Meteor split into pieces, which rained down on the field, pummeling Flareon mercilessly. Amazingly, when the barrage stopped, Flareon just managed to get to its feet. "That's one strong Flareon," said Ash, "but we've got this battle. Gabite, attack from under the ground!" Gabite hit its unsteadily standing opponent in the stomach, sending it flying into the air. This time, after landing, Flareon did not get up.

"Flareon is unable to battle!" ruled the referee. "Gabite is the winner!"

The crowd cheered for Ash as he pumped his fist in the air. After a very poor start, the trainer from Pallet Town had managed to even the score! The noise of the crowd was laced with anticipation. Ash had the momentum. What if he managed to win?

Marla returned Flareon to its Pokeball. She had a shocked look on her face, as though still trying to grasp what was going on. She took a few seconds to pick her next Pokemon, but eventually, she came to her decision; throwing a Pokeball, she shouted, "Go, Camerupt!" With a thump, Camerupt came out for another fight.

Ash then thought about which Pokemon to use against Camerupt. _Totodile would do better against Camerupt than Gabite. But if I use Totodile, she can just use her Starmie instead. But Gabite has a type advantage too! I'll stay with Gabite._ He looked up and called, "Gabite, Strength!" Gabite rushed over to its opponent, and tried to pick it up and throw it.

However, Camerupt was much heavier than Flareon, and Gabite could lift this new opponent. Marla smiled to herself. This was going even better than she had expected. Ash was using Gabite instead of Totodile, and now, Ash had commanded his Pokemon to use a move it could not pull off. "Camerupt, Double-Edge!" Marla ordered. Camerupt charged its opponent, who was in no position to dodge, and slammed into it. Gabite landed far away, only a few feet from Ash. "Now use Eruption!" Marla called. The volcano-shaped humps on Camerupt's back spewed molten lava high into the air. Marla's Pokemon bent its front legs slightly, aiming the stream of liquid fire straight at Gabite.

"Gabite, get away from there!" yelled Ash. "Move in and use Iron Head!" Gabite dodged the plume of lava, and charged Camerupt with its head down.

"Camerupt, Double-Edge!" commanded Marla.

As the two Pokemon ran toward each other to land an attack, Ash realized that Camerupt was much stronger than Gabite. He had to get Gabite to stop and get it out of the way. "Gabite, Dig!" he shouted. Gabite stopped its Iron Head, dug a hole, and disappeared underground.

However, Marla was still smiling. "Now, Earthquake!" she ordered. Camerupt shook the ground. From below, thumping sounds and faint cries of pain told both trainers that Gabite had been hit hard.

"Gabite, attack Camerupt now!" called Ash. Gabite wasted no time in emerging from the ground, landing a hit on Camerupt as it did so.

"Camerupt, use Eruption to circle Gabite with lava!" yelled Marla. If she could beat Gabite now, the match would effectively be over. Gabite ran and ran around the field, trying to keep from being encircled. Finally, Camerupt cornered Gabite on a little patch of ground— and it was not letting up on its attack.

Ash watched as a fresh spurt of lava headed for his trapped Pokemon. He could think of only one way out. "Gabite, Dig as fast as you can!" But Camerupt's attack was dead on; the lava went right into the hole that its opponent had just made. From the sound of things, Gabite was still in the fight, racing below ground just ahead of the lava flow. When Gabite had almost reached Camerupt, Ash ordered a last-ditch counterattack. "Gabite, use Strength with both hands! Aim for your exit hole!" Gabite, though just touched by the lava, jumped out of the ground, bear-hugged Camerupt, and managed to throw it back into the tunnel created by the Dig. It caved in, and Camerupt fell into the pool of lava, and bellowed loudly in pain. "Okay, Gabite," commanded Ash, "give it your best Draco Meteor!" Gabite launched another Draco Meteor, and again, it scored a perfect hit on Camerupt. Marla's Pokemon collapsed into the lava.

"Camerupt is unable to battle!" announced the referee, holding up the green flag. "Gabite is the winner!"

As Ash both his arms into the air in celebration, the crowd grew louder. Ash had actually pulled ahead of Marla!

Still, Marla was not finished yet. With a smug smile on her face, she recalled Camerupt and threw the Pokeball that contained her last battle-ready Pokemon. "Go, Starmie!" she called.

"Okay, Gabite, Iron Head!" ordered Ash. Gabite charged Gabite, just like it had done to Flareon and Camerupt before.

However, Marla commanded confidently, "Starmie, Brine!" Starmie turned an arm toward Gabite and hit it with a jet of water. Ash suddenly smelled salt while Gabite writhed in pain. After about five seconds, Gabite fell over.

"Gabite is unable to battle!" announced the referee, holding up the red flag. "Starmie is the winner!"

It was only then that Ash realized his mistake. He only had Totodile left to battle this Starmie, and Ash suspected strongly that Totodile was not up to the task. Still, he was determined to make Marla work for the win. Bracing for the worst, Ash called, "Totodile, I choose you!" His Pokemon appeared on the field, visibly nervous.

Marla called the first attack. "Starmie, Power Gem!"

"Dodge it!" commanded Ash. Totodile avoided getting hit, but Marla had already called her next move.

"Now, Rapid Spin!" Spinning at an amazing speed, Starmie headed straight for its opponent.

"Look out, Totodile!" shouted Ash. "Use Slash!" Totodile raised it hand in the nick of time. Its claw connected with one of Starmie's arms, stopping the Rapid Spin and sending Marla's Pokemon crashing into the ground. "Now use Bite!"

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Marla as Totodile snapped at Starmie. "Psychic!" Starmie lifted Totodile high into the air, squeezing Ash's Pokemon mercilessly.

"Totodile, Waterfall!" commanded Ash. It was desperate attempt to break the grip of the Psychic, but it was in vain. The water just enveloped Totodile, squeezing it even harder.

"Now, Starmie, Power Gem!" ordered Marla. The attack hit the immobile Totodile, who landed on its stomach twenty feet away. "Now use Brine!" called Marla.

A jet of salt water hit Totodile, who thrashed around fighting the power of the attack. After the attack had stopped, Ash's Pokemon looked ready to fall down. "You can do it, Totodile!" Ash encouraged. "It's not over yet!" Inside, though, Ash could not see a way out of this jam. _It _can't _be over now_, he thought desperately. _I wasn't planning on getting knocked out this early!_

However, at that point, Totodile started to glow white, and then it transformed. Its body started filling out, its back became slightly hunched, and all of its limbs became thicker. Then, the glow stopped. Totodile had evolved into Croconaw, and Ash shouted a loud congratulations while the crowd screamed again. Then, Ash noticed that Croconaw's white glow had been replaced by a blue one. _That's Croconaw's Torrent_, thought Ash. _It's really gonna boost Croconaw's Waterfall._

However, Marla attacked first. "Starmie, use Brine again!" This attack, though, had no effect; Croconaw suddenly conjured up a huge wave, which dissipated the salt from Starmie's Brine. Croconaw rode the wave as it broke over Starmie, knocking the Starfish Pokemon unceremoniously to the ground again.

"Now use Waterfall!" ordered Ash, trying to keep his initiative. Totodile hit Starmie before the latter could move a muscle.

"Starmie, Psychic!" yelled Marla.

"Finish this up with another Surf!" Ash called. Totodile rode a second powered-up wave that scored another direct hit on Starmie. Marla's Pokemon fell to the ground; its arms drooped and the ruby in the middle of its body started flashing.

The referee waited, then held up his green flag. "Starmie is unable to battle!" he announced. "Croconaw is the winner! And the winner of this match is Ash from Pallet Town!"

The crowd was going nuts in its cheering. Never before had such a turnaround happened in the Champions' League. After quickly losing three Pokemon, Ash had managed to turn the match around and score a win.

"YES!" screamed Ash as loudly as he could. He ran out to his tired Croconaw and hugged it. "Croconaw, you were amazing out there!" he told his Pokemon. "I'm definitely using you again later!" Pikachu ran up to Ash and Croconaw, as elated as either of them and its battle injuries forgotten. "What do you think, Pikachu?" Ash asked his best friend happily. "Do you think we can still win?" Pikachu nodded vigorously.

"If you do, I won't be surprised," said a voice in front of Ash. Looking, Ash saw Marla with her hand extended. "That was a really great battle," she said.

"Thanks!" said Ash, shaking Marla's hand. "You were a really tough opponent!"

"I need to train harder for next time," said Marla. "See you around!"

* * *

Talking with his mom, Professor Oak, Brock, Misty, and Dawn, Ash felt much better than he had just two hours before. He was ecstatic after his hard-fought win, and was eager for another battle to prove himself. He was so excited that he went for a victory run by himself, with his exhausted Pikachu holding onto his shoulder.

Ash had always been a high placer in Pokemon Leagues, and that had given him a few fans. When Ash had first met Max, for example, the younger boy had recognized him from a video of his quarterfinal match in the Johto League, which had taken place a month before their meeting. During the recent Sinnoh League, there was always much speculation that he might win. However, as Ash went on his run, he saw lots of people pointing him out, waving to him, or even asking for his autograph. As the winner of the closest match in the first round, he attracted lots of attention. He always signed an autograph if asked, and some fans went so far as to ask for Pikachu's autograph as well.

Refreshed by the run and a taste of being a celebrity, Ash started to head back to his mom and friends. He heard a voice call, "Ash!"

Thinking it was another fan, he turned and waved, but then he saw that it was Roger. "Hi, Roger!" Ash answered. He found that he was more comfortable talking to the ex-champion now than he had been before the match.

"Excellent job in your match," said Roger. "I was watching. You really improved your Pokemon's moves and their discipline. And you managed to teach Gabite Draco Meteor. Well done."

"Thanks," said Ash. He wanted to tell Roger that it wasn't about discipline, but rather the bonds of trust and friendship, but he didn't think it was a good idea.

"So, are you ready for the second round?"

"Yeah, I'm still pumped!"

"Just keep your guard up, Ash. You won today, and that's great, but don't get overconfident."

"Don't worry. I'm gonna give it my all in the second round too."

"Alright. Good luck."

* * *

All the first round matches were finished. Ash and his party were having a celebratory dinner at a fancy restaurant. Although a great deal of cheerful talk had taken place at their table, they were now discussing Ash's conversation with Roger during his victory run.

"So let me get this straight," said Dawn. "Roger complimented you on your performance and then just told you, 'Keep your guard up?'"

"Yeah," said Ash.

"Well, I guess he has point," said Professor Oak. "Didn't all your losses in Pokemon Leagues happen after you'd won a significant battle?"

"Well..." Ash answered. Now that he thought about it, Professor Oak seemed right. After winning in the fourth round of the Kanto League, while Gary had lost, he had lost his next battle decisively. After his big win over Gary in the Johto League, he had gone done to Harrison in the quarterfinals. He had defeated a rival in the Hoenn League, only to lose his next match against another rival. And in the Sinnoh League, his loss to Paul had come right after his win over Barry.

"Even if he does have a point, why should he say it like that?" asked Misty disgustedly.

"I guess it's because that's the way Roger works," explained Brock. "His whole career as a trainer was based on that kind of attentiveness and discipline."

"Yeah, that's the other thing," said Ash. "Roger said I gave my Pokemon 'discipline.' But I know better. I didn't win by beating attacks into my Pokemon. I won by connecting with my Pokemon."

"It's good that you're not taking Roger's words at face value anymore," said Brock. "His idea of discipline wouldn't work for you. Still, you wouldn't have that win under your belt without the moves that Roger suggested."

As the discussion about Roger carried on, Mrs. Ketchum kept silent. She agreed with Ash wholeheartedly; too much 'discipline' in training was harmful. However, her reasons for thinking thus were extremely personal; too personal, in fact, for this discussion. Still, even though she wasn't talking now, she would have to tell Ash eventually...She was running out of excuses...

* * *

That evening, Ash and his friends gathered in front of the main arena, along with every trainer who had won in the first round. They were all waiting to see their second-round opponents, who would be chosen randomly. Ash watched the faces if the thirty-two trainers move rapidly around a television screen. When they stopped and showed the matches, Ash looked around for his picture. He found his face right next a familiar one: it was that of a laughing old man with white hair, a white beard, and a receding hairline.

"So you're facing Wattson next," said Brock. "That should be interesting."

"You bet!" exclaimed Ash. "I'm psyched!"

"Wait. Who's that?" asked Misty and Dawn together.

"A gym leader I battled in Hoenn," said Ash. "Pikachu knocked out all three of his Pokemon in one hit. Wattson wanted to leave the gym after that, but then we found out that Pikachu just had too much electricity because of an accident."

"Still, Pikachu beat _all_ of his Pokemon?" asked Misty. "And he's really good, even for a gym leader, if he's here."

"That's my Ash!" said Mrs. Ketchum. "He beats all the best!"

Ash blushed in embarrassment and laughed nervously.

* * *

**Author's Note: Done with another chapter! There was more stuff I was planning to include in this chapter, but that would have made it a little too long.**

**So Ash made a major comeback in his battle with Marla, with Totodile evolving and learning a new attack in the process. He learns that Wattson will be his next opponent. Roger gives Ash the same advice he always gives: train hard; don't relax; discipline, discipline, discipline. For the first time, Ash is confident that he is right while Roger is wrong. But his mom has something else to say about that...**


	16. Upsetting the Leaders

Chapter 16: Upsetting the Leaders

After he had found out who his next opponent would be, Ash decided to take a day off. After Nurse Joy had healed his Pokemon, Ash sent all of them except Pikachu back to Professor Oak's lab. Although he needed a day to wind down before his battle with Wattson, he had another reason for taking a break: the team that he had used against Marla would explain to his other Pokemon that they would need the moves Roger had taught them. Trusting them to do this job for him, Ash looked forward to a fun-filled day with his friends.

Ash did not even pick his entire team for his next battle. Because of its record against Wattson's Pokemon, Pikachu was in. Since Ash needed a Ground-type and a Grass-type, he was going to use Donphan and Bayleef as well. He also thought Quilava would be useful, just in case Wattson used Magnemite or one of its evolutions. However, he wasn't sure which two other Pokemon he would use. _That's okay_, he thought. _I'll think of them when I start training for this battle._

Ash told everyone about his plan at breakfast. Misty, Brock, and Dawn all agreed quickly to go exploring the city with Ash. Professor Oak said that he would go sightseeing with them in the morning, but that he would have to work on an important research paper in the afternoon.

Mrs. Ketchum, however, said, "Um, no thanks. You can go. I need to do some Christmas shopping."

The entire group wondered why Mrs. Ketchum wanted to do Christmas shopping that day. "I mean, Christmas is three weeks away," said Ash as they left the Pokemon Center. "And I'm not gonna have another day off for a week. Why doesn't she shop tommorow?"

"Maybe she wants to check out the Goldenrod City Department Store," suggested Brock after a few seconds. "It's a lot bigger any of the stores and Saffron City."

"I don't know about that," said Misty. "We actually did a lot of our Christmas shopping in Saffron City. And I could've sworn I remembered her saying she had all her presents."

"Maybe she's getting _your _present," suggested Dawn.

"Maybe," said Misty, but the group remained unconvinced.

* * *

However, their puzzlement was soon forgotten. Goldenrod City was the largest city in Johto, and it had no shortage of attractions for everyone. Brock bought a manual for breeding Fighting Pokemon from a large bookstore, while Ash got a book of weird and funny stories about Pokemon trainers. Professor Oak took them into a museum of Pokemon fossils, where they all examined Cranidos skulls, Omanyte shells, and even some leg bones of an early Bulbasaur. Misty and Dawn insisted on dragging everyone into the famous Goldenrod City Flower Shop; they only lost their enthusiasm when Brock, trying to charm the beautiful assistant manager with a nearby bouquet of roses, received a Poison Jab from his Croagunk.

After a quick bite to eat, Professor Oak left to finish his research paper, while the other four decided to visit the observation deck of the Goldenrod Radio Tower. Ash, Misty, and Brock had all visited the radio tower during their previous travels in Johto, but Dawn had not. This day was especially busy; rest days for the Champions' League produced large crowds all over the city. Hundreds waited in line in the lobby, waiting to see a birds-eye view of the city.

Finally, the four of them paid their admission fees, got inside an elevator, and got out high above the ground.

"Wow! Cool!" shouted Dawn after looking down at the rest of the city. "We have to be a mile up!"

"Actually, it's more like a quarter of a mile," said Brock. "Hey, there's a pair of binoculars. Want to look through them first?"

"Sure!" said Dawn. She looked around the city through the binoculars, making excited comments as she saw buildings, cars, and people down below. Ash, Misty, and Brock waited by the binoculars for Dawn to finish.

"Ash! Brock!" called a voice suddenly. They looked, and saw Norman waving to them. It was the first time since opening of the Champions' League that any of them had seen Norman.

"Hi, Norman!" they yelled in unison as they ran over to him.

Misty ran over as well, and so did Dawn after she had stepped away from the binoculars. "Hey, Max!" said Misty, seeing the young boy at his father's side.

"Hey, guys!" said Max excitedly.

"How is everyone?" asked Norman.

Everyone else said "Great," but Ash had looked past Norman. He saw May walking purposefully away from them, heading into a ladies' room.

Norman, realizing what Ash had seen, said, "Yeah, May still doesn't want to talk to you. I keep telling her that she's being childish, but it's not sinking in."

"Don't worry," said Ash sadly. "I'm getting used to it."

"Hey!" said Max suddenly, looking at Dawn. "I know who you are! You battled my sister once in the Wallace Cup!"

"Yeah!" said Dawn proudly. She remembered facing May very well; the Wallace Cup was one of the largest contests in the country. Dawn had faced May in the finals, and won. "That was a great battle!"

"You got lucky to beat May!" exclaimed Max.

"Max," said Norman reprovingly, "don't be rude." When Max had closed his mouth, Norman said, "By the way, Ash, congratulations on your win. I was a little worried at first, but you made a great comeback."

"Thanks!" said Ash. "Congrats to you, too! Who are you battling next?"

"Someone from the Sinnoh Elite Four. Bertha. My battle's at one on the first day."

"So you're fighting one of the best," said Misty. "You're not nervous?"

"No," answered Norman. "I've beaten Elite Four member before. I just can't let my guard down."

They kept talking for half an hour, with Ash telling Norman about his upcoming battle with Wattson, and they relived some of the most exciting moments from their battles. Finally, Norman said that he and Max should leave (May still had not come out of the restroom), so they all said their goodbyes, and Ash and Norman wished each other good luck again.

* * *

After spending some more time on the observation deck, the group decided to head back toward the stadium. Even though no battles would take place for days, stands selling snacks and souvenirs were open and busy as ever.

"Ash, come here!" shouted Dawn as she stopped by one of the stands.

Ash, who had been buying cotton candy, walked over to her. Since Dawn seemed to be suppressing a laugh, Ash asked, "What's so funny?" Dawn pointed at a display, and Ash looked at a group of bobbleheads modeled after the competitors.

"Look at this one!" said Dawn. Ash saw an image of himself, complete with a plastic Pikachu on his shoulder, with the head wobbling around. Dawn flicked the head, and an electronic voice said, "Torkoal, I choose you!"

Misty and Brock laughed. Even Pikachu joined in, prompting Ash to swat it with his cotton candy. "What's the big idea?" he demanded, though everyone could tell he was really amused as well.

"Okay," said Dawn to the vendor, "I'll buy this."

"Me too!" said Brock, picking up another bobblehead.

"Me three!" said Misty, also snatching one from the display.

"Thanks, guys," said Ash, his voice full of mock sarcasm, as they left the stand. "It's great to know that my best friends like to see me look stupid."

"Any time, Ash," said Misty in a fake sweet voice.

Noticing that they were reaching the side arenas, Ash suggested, "Hey, guys, let's go see some battles!"

The group saw some exciting battles. Volkner and Flint, a popular duo at Champions' League exhibition battles, had one last three-on-three battle before Volkner returned to his gym. After that, they witnessed a match between Lance and Drake, two Elite Four members from two different regions who both specialized in training Dragon Pokemon. Then, they saw Tucker, the Battle Dome Ace from the Kanto Battle Frontier, pull off one of his famous tactical wins against Byron, the leader of the Canaclave City Gym in Sinnoh.

"This is amazing!" yelled Ash excitedly as they left the arena, looking for another battle. "Seeing all these great trainers in action gets me all fired up!"

"You must be pumped to be competing against such skilled trainers," said Brock.

Suddenly, Pikachu's ears perked up. It turned toward the next arena, where sparks of electricity were flying into the air. "That looks like a battle between two Electric-types," observed Ash. "Want to check it out, Pikachu?" Pikachu pumped its fist in the air, so they all ran up to this arena to get seats.

Everyone gasped as the battle came into view. As Ash had surmised, two Electric-types, a Manectric and an Electavire, were battling intensely. Wattson was directing Manectric, while Paul was commanding Electavire.

"Manectric, Thunder Fang!" called Wattson.

"Thuderpunch!" ordered Paul. The attacks connected, with Manectric biting Electavire's fist. "Brick Break!" commanded Paul. With its other hand, Electavire hit its opponent with a strong chop, breaking the grip of its jaws.

"Quick, Manectric, use Shock Wave!" yelled Wattson.

"Giga Impact!" shouted Paul. Electavire's attack hit first, and Manectric was out cold afterward.

Raising his red flag, the referee said, "Manectric is unable to battle! The winners of this match are Paul and Electavire!"

The two trainers recalled their Pokemon. "I didn't expect to see Paul here," said Misty as they got up.

"Wait, how do _you _know Paul?" asked Dawn. Everyone explained about the battle with Paul that had left Misty's sisters with no fighting spirits. By the time they had finished, they had reached the outside of the arena, where they saw Paul talking to Wattson.

"That's one strong Electavire!" commented Wattson in his jovial voice. "How long have you had it?"

"Thanks," said Paul. "About a year and a half. I raised it from an Elekid."

"And it's Ash!" said Wattson, spotting his second round opponent.

"Hi, Wattson!" said Ash nervously; he didn't really feel like getting into a conversation with Paul too.

"So we're battling each other in the second round! What a coincidence!" Wattson laughed loudly. "Well, I have some training I need to do," he said. "So I'll see you for a fun battle in the stadium!"

"You bet!" shouted Ash. "See you there!"

"So you actually got through to the second round," Paul said to Ash.

"Yeah!" said Ash. "And I'm not gonna stop there!"

"You're pathetic," said Paul impatiently. "You didn't deserve to win your first round battle."

"I might've had a bad start, but I made a big comeback later!"

"A good trainer wouldn't _need_ to make a comeback like that. None of the other winners ever let their guard down like you did."

Misty, whose hands had been clenched at her sides while watching this exchange, could not hold herself back any longer. "Hey, jerk!" she yelled. Paul looked at her in mild surprise. "Yeah, you!" Misty shouted, stomping up to Paul.

"Who are _you_?" asked Paul disdainfully.

"My name's Misty! You probably don't remember me, but I hope you remember my sister, Violet!"

"From where?"

"The Cerulean City Gym, you stuck-up snob!"

"Yeah. So?"

"So my sisters didn't really want any more battles after you insulted them! The gym became a joke until I took over!"

"If they really stopped battling, I did them favor. They couldn't battle for their lives."

"Then how about a battle with _me_?"

"That would be a waste of time. If you're that close to your sisters, I'm guessing that you're as weak as they were."

"Okay. If you want to chicken out, be my guest!"

Misty had touched a nerve that Ash knew well. Like Ash himself, Paul would battle anyone if the alternative was being accused of cowardice. "Alright, we'll have a battle!" he shouted. "Three-on-three, with no substitutions!"

"No! Two-on-two _with _substitutions!" yelled Misty. "The same as at the gym!"

"Deal!" said Paul. "Let's go talk to the referee."

"I hope Misty knows what she's doing," said Ash as he, Dawn, and Brock walked back into the arena.

"I don't know," said Brock. "We all know how strong Paul's Pokemon are. I think the only one on Misty's team that can fight them on equal terms is her Gyarados."

"This will be a two-on-two practice battle between Misty of Cerulean City and Paul of Veilstone City!" called the referee, catching the attention of Ash, Brock, and Dawn. "Each trainer may use two Pokemon. The battle will continue until both of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue, with no time limit. Each trainer may substitute Pokemon as desired. Begin!" He raised both flags to signal the start of the match.

"I'll beat you with one of the Pokemon you beat at the gym!" shouted Misty. "Go, Starmie!" she called, throwing a Pokeball. The Starfish Pokemon appeared in front of Misty.

"Fair enough," said Paul to himself. "Torterra, stand by for battle!" he ordered, throwing his own Pokeball. The giant turtle emerged and faced Starmie.

"Starmie, Bubblebeam!" commanded Misty, starting the battle. Pointing an arm at Torterra, Starmie let loose a stream of bubbles.

"Stone Edge!" called Paul calmly. The sharp rocks from Torterra's attack crashed through the bubbles, hitting Starmie hard.

"Don't give up, Starmie!" encouraged Misty. "Use Rapid Spin!" Starmie zoomed at its opponent, spinning very fast.

"Crunch when it comes in!" shouted Paul.

"Break off and use Ice Beam instead!" ordered Misty. Starmie stopped a few feet from its opponent, and blasted Torterra at a close range.

Torterra writhed in pain, but Paul gave it no notice. "Use Frenzy Plant!" he commanded. Torterra reared up on its hind legs and brought them back down hard. Brambles shot out of the ground, scoring another direct hit on Starmie. Misty's Pokemon hit the ground, the gem in the center of its body blinking.

"Starmie is unable to battle!" ruled the referee. "Torterra is the winner!"

"That was fast," said Ash as Misty recalled her Pokemon. Starmie had lasted about twenty seconds against Torterra.

"Yeah," agreed Brock. "If Misty doesn't get her act together, she's gonna get wiped out."

"Go, Gyarados!" yelled Misty, calling out her second Pokemon. The giant water snake materialized, floating in the air in front of its trainer. "Gyarados, Flamethrower!" called Misty. Immobilized by its Frenzy Plant, Torterra was forced to take the attack head-on. However, Paul's starter Pokemon stood firm.

"Use Giga Drain!" ordered Paul. As soon as Torterra had recovered, it caught its adversary in a web of green light, which drained its foe's energy while replenishing its own strength.

Finally, the Giga Drain faded. Gyarados was panting, shaken by the powerful attack. "Gyarados, use Ice Fang!" called Misty.

"Crunch!" shouted Paul. Gyarados bit Torterra on its leg, while Torterra reciprocated on Gyarados' midsection. "Now, Giga Drain!" ordered Paul again. Another Giga Drain scored a direct hit, draining Gyarados' strength further. "Frenzy Plant!" commanded Paul. Another rapidly-growing clump of brambles hit Gyarados, and it landed hard on Misty's side of the field. Misty's Pokemon did not move.

"Gyarados is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Torterra is the winner! And the winner of this match is Paul from Veilstone City!"

Misty returned Gyarados to its Pokeball, and then fell to her knees. She had lost to Paul. Trying to defeat the trainer who had crushed her sister, she had ended up being crushed herself.

Paul, meanwhile, recalled his Torterra and walked out of the arena. As he had suspected, this battle had been a waste of his time. Misty, the upstart gym leader from Cerulean City, had not even lasted a minute against him. _Or _was _it a waste of time?_ Paul thought. _That girl kind of reminds me of me..._

Ash, Dawn, and Brock ran up to Misty, who was crying. "That must've been frustrating," said Dawn sympathetically.

"Why did I lose so fast?" shouted Misty.

"Don't worry," said Ash. "I spent the last year trying to beat Paul. He always beats me. Not next time, though. If I battle Paul, I'm gonna win. And I'm gonna do it for all of us."

* * *

**Author's Note: Yes! I finished another chapter! I'm cheering because I had to get past a little writer's block to get this one done. Plus, I'm finally starting to work on the Harry Potter fic I mentioned once before. The first chapter should be up in a couple weeks.**

**So Misty and Paul had a battle, and Misty definitely came off worse. Ash vowed to beat Paul for her as well as for himself and his Pokemon. Mrs. Ketchum deliberately avoided going sightseeing with Ash and his friends. May is STILL angry at Ash. And amid all of this, Ash has a battle coming up against Wattson...**

**I'll try to get another chapter up before Christmas, but I can't promise anything. There will be a big Christmas party at my house, and I'll need to help get the house ready. Plus, I still have some Christmas shopping to do (kind of like Mrs. Ketchum! lol). And I'm probably going to visit some relatives after Christmas. So, all said and and done, I might not update again before the new year. If I don't, enjoy your holidays!**


	17. The Surprise Party

Chapter 17: The Surprise Party

The group was extremely subdued after Misty's battle with Paul. They returned to their hotel, ate a quiet dinner, and went to bed. They did not even answer Professor Oak or Mrs. Ketchum when they asked how their afternoon had gone.

The next day, Ash was planning to complete his lineup against Wattson and start training immediately. First, however, he visited Misty at her room. "Misty?" he called, knocking on her door. "Hey, Misty, are you in there?"

Misty opened the door. Her eyes were bloodshot; she had clearly cried herself to sleep the previous night. "Hi, Ash," she said in a flat voice.

"Hey, Misty," said Ash. "Are you okay?"

"I guess."

"Don't worry about losing to Paul. I'm still trying to beat him."

"Make sure you d-do!" exclaimed Misty, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. "S-someone needs to beat that jerk!"

"Yeah. Paul had better hope he doesn't battle me, because I'm gonna rip him apart in a battle. But first, let's get some breakfast."

Misty smiled weakly. "Sure. I guess you can't train on an empty stomach." The two of them met up with the others in the lobby, and they all grabbed pancakes and sausages from the hotel's cafeteria.

* * *

After breakfast, Ash said goodbye to the others and headed for the Pokemon Center. On the way, he thought about his team for his upcoming match against Wattson. He already had Pikachu, Donphan, Bayleef, and Quilava picked out, but that left two more spaces open. _Glalie would be good_, Ash thought. _It learned some powerful attacks, so we could try them out here. _He also got an idea of a surprise Pokemon as his last team member. _It's kind of risky, because of the type disadvantage... But it _does_ know Dig... Okay, I'll do it and see what happens. Wattson won't expect it._

After arriving at the Pokemon Center, Ash went straight to the video phone to call Tracey, who was running the lab. He dialed the number, and waited until the young man's face appeared on the view screen. "Hey, Ash, how's everything?" said Tracey.

"Good," replied Ash. "How are my Pokemon doing?"

"They're great. Did you say something to them? They've been practicing lots of new moves for the past day."

"Yeah. I talked to my team in the middle of my last battle. I finally realized that even Roger had some good advice."

"I'm glad you guys could get something good out of Roger's training program. But what about your next match? Do you have a lineup yet?"

"Yeah. Here's my final team..."

* * *

For the next week, Ash trained almost nonstop for his match with Wattson. In the meantime, Norman, Paul, and Brandon all won their matches, but Ash saw none of this. His training was the only way to soothe his anger at Paul.

However, even the training had issues. Ash constantly had to remind himself that Wattson was his opponent at the moment, not Paul. Four times, Pikachu had to remind Ash of his promises not to train his Pokemon harshly or force involuntary training. Because of his Pokemon's wishes, the training sessions were an hour or two shorter than Ash had wanted, but since Ash could not see Wattson training this hard, he had no worries about their battle.

Finally, the day of the match arrived. In the locker room, surrounded by his mother and his friends, he smiled, talked, and boasted much more than he had before his last match. He was completely sure that he could beat Wattson. When the bell rang for the trainers to walk onto the field, and everyone wished Ash good luck, Ash stepped out confidently, waving at the crowd when they cheered.

The referee then gave his customary speech. "This is a full six-on-six battle between Wattson of Mauville City and Ash of Pallet Town. It will continue until all six of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle, with no time limit. Each trainer may substitute Pokemon at will. The trainer with the first attack will now be randomly selected." An electronic roulette wheel spun on the scoreboard, and Wattson was selected to make the first attack. "Begin!" called the referee, raising both flags.

"Time for a little surprise!" calling Wattson jovially across the field. "Meditite, here we go!" He threw a Pokeball, and a small, gray and blue Pokemon appeared in front of him. Meditite stood with one foot forward, arms raised.

Ash thought about which Pokemon to use against Meditite. He only expected Wattson to have Electric-types, but here he was using a Fighting and Psychic Pokemon. He would need Donphan for later, and anyway, its Rollout would do little damage. Glalie would have a type disadvantage. Suddenly, he got an idea. If Wattson was using a surprise Pokemon, why couldn't he?

Throwing a Pokeball, he called, "Corphish, I choose you!" The red, lobster-like Pokemon appeared, facing its opponent with a glare.

"Alright, Meditite, Focus Blast!" Wattson commanded. Meditite, its eyes full of concentration, built a ball of energy between its fists and sent it sailing toward Corphish.

"Quick, Corphish, Dig!" shouted Ash. Corphish scrambled underground, and the Focus Blast hit only the top of its hole. As Meditite looked around, trying to discern where its opponent had gone, Ash called, "Now, Corphish!"

However, as Ash's Pokemon emerged from the ground, Wattson ordered, "Now use Detect!" Meditite leapt away nimbly, avoiding its opponent's attack.

"Corphish, Bubblebeam!" commanded Ash. His Pokemon pointed a claw at its adversary, shooting out a stream of bubbles.

"Dodge and use Thunderpunch!" called Wattson. Meditite avoided Corphish's attack again, then scored the first hit of the battle, punching Corphish in the side.

As Corphish was thrown backward, Ash thought, _Of course. I should have known that Wattson would teach Meditite an Electric attack. Plus, I can't attack from underground. I've got to do something about that Detect!_

However, Meditite was running toward its opponent now. Wattson yelled "Alright, Meditite, Psycho Cut!"

"Corphish, Harden!" shouted Ash reflexively. Corphish braced its hard shell as Meditite swiped it with an open hand, sending it flying again.

"Focus Blast, Meditite!" called Wattson.

"Counter with Bubblebeam!" commanded Ash. The two attacks collided, exploding in midair and creating a cloud of smoke.

"Now use Thunderpunch!" ordered Wattson.

Though neither he nor Corphish could see Meditite, they could not allow this attack to hit, so Ash yelled, "Corphish, use Bubblebeam into the smoke!" Miraculously, the attack hit. Meditite took the Bubblebeam to its left shoulder. Although it could not completely stop Meditite's momentum, Wattson's Pokemon began to spin, and it landed on the ground in front of Corphish. "Now, Corphish, Vicegrip!" commanded Ash.

"Quick, Meditite, Psycho Cut!" called Wattson. However, Meditite did not get up in time. Corphish caught its arm with a claw and held on tight. Wattson could only give useless commands as his Pokemon struggled to break free.

"Now, hold on and use Bubblebeam, full power!" ordered Ash. Both of Corphish's claws, the free one and the one still holding its opponent's arm, shot out jets of bubbles. "A little more, Corphish!" encouraged Ash. "Don't let up yet!" Corphish kept the attack going. Finally, after almost half a minute, the struggling Meditite went limp.

"Meditite is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Corphish is the winner!"

"Yes!" Ash yelled. "Great job, Corphish!"

Wattson returned his fallen Meditite to its Pokeball and threw another. "Manectric, here we go!" he called. The blue and yellow Manectric appeared on the field, staring at Corphish.

This was the Pokemon that Ash was most worried about. The one time he had faced it, his Torkoal had lost a tough battle. He considered recalling Corphish and using Donphan or Bayleef instead. But since Corphish would have a tough battle regardless of the opponent, Ash asked his Pokemon, "Do you want to stay in?" Corphish raised its claws in an affirmative response. "Okay," said Ash, "use Bubblebeam!"

"Manectric, Quick Attack!" called Wattson. Dodging the Bubblebeam, Manectric charged down its opponent, sending Corphish across the field again.

"Corphish, Dig!" called Ash.

"Quick," commanded Wattson, "use Shock Wave!" Just before Corphish disappeared under the ground, Manectric's attack hit its mark. Corphish screamed in pain, and then collapsed in its small hole.

"Corphish is unable to battle!" said the referee. "Manectric is the winner!"

Ash returned Corphish to its Pokeball, and told it, "Thanks, Corphish. You were great. Just take a long rest." Then, he turned to Pikachu. "Okay, Pikachu, your turn. You can beat any of Wattson's Pokemon, so give it your best shot." Pikachu ran onto the field, facing Manectric.

However, Wattson clearly wanted to save Manectric for later, because he recalled it as well. He threw another Pokeball, saying, "Electrode, here we go!" Wattson's next choice looked like a giant, upside-down Pokeball. However, above its grinning face, it had two thin antennae that gave it an insect-like appearance.

"Alright, Pikachu, Quick Attack!" ordered Ash.

"Dodge it, Electrode!" called Wattson. As Pikachu went in for the attack, Electrode rolled to the side, evading its opponent. "Now use Signal Beam!" called Wattson.

"Use Agility to avoid it!" yelled Ash. Pikachu dodged the attack just in time, and started running around the stadium at breakneck speed.

"Follow Pikachu and use Rollout!" commanded Wattson. Electrode started rolling rapidly toward its adversary. Ash was amazed at its speed; even with Pikachu's Agility, Electrode was almost as fast. Finally, Pikachu slowed down from tiredness, and Wattson's Pokemon put on a sudden burst of speed. It smashed into Pikachu, sending seven feet into the air before it landed.

As Electrode came around for a fresh attack, Ash called, "Pikachu, Quick Attack again!" This Quick Attack scored a hit, sending Electrode spinning away like a billiards ball. Ash pressed his attack. "Pikachu, Double-Edge!" Pikachu landed an even stronger hit on its opponent, which rolled away across the field.

"Electrode, Signal Beam!" ordered Wattson.

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" commanded Ash. Pikachu's attack was much stronger than Electrode's; it ripped through the Signal Beam with ease before hitting its intended target full force.

"Rollout!" called Wattson. Electrode started rolling again, heading right for Pikachu.

"Give it another Double-Edge!" ordered Ash.

Pikachu and Electrode both charged forward, each intending to deal a powerful hit. However, when they were a few feet apart, Wattson shouted, "Stop rolling and use Explosion!" Electrode set off an incredible blast inside its own body. Pikachu was running too fast to change direction, and it was caught in the attack with no warning. The force from the Explosion carried Pikachu all the way across the field, where it skidded to a halt in front of its trainer.

Looking at the two unconscious Pokemon, the referee raised both of its flags. "Pikachu and Electrode are both unable to battle!" he ruled.

Ash ran up to Pikachu, still stunned by what had just happened. "Don't be upset, buddy," he said. "You did awesome." He set Pikachu down by the opposite wall. _Of course,_ he thought to himself. _Something had to be up when Wattson didn't call Electrode back._ _So who will I use next?_ Ash thought about his decision. Should he use a wild card, or one of his main Pokemon? Finally, he came to his decision. "Bayleef, I choose you!" he called, throwing his third Pokeball onto the field.

"A Pokemon that resists electric attacks!" called Wattson cheerfully from the opposite side of the field. "But two can play that game! Magneton, here we go!" Magneton appeared, all three eyes on its metal body trained on Bayleef.

"Okay, Bayleef," Ash commanded, wasting no time in starting the battle, "Razor Leaf!" A barrage of dangerously spinning, super-sharp leaves made its way toward Magneton.

"Magneton, Swift!" called Wattson. Magneton shot some spinning stars right at the leaves. The attack knocked some of the better-aimed ones out of the way and landed a direct hit on Bayleef. Meanwhile, the leaves that had not been thrown out of the way only scored glancing hits, doing next to nothing to Magneton.

"Bayleef," ordered Ash, a note of fear in his voice, "Body Slam!" Bayleef jumped, ready to land right on top of its opponent.

Magneton twitched, wanting to move away, but Wattson called, "Just stay there! That's the best, I promise!" His Pokemon braced itself, and sure enough, Bayleef pinned it against the ground as it landed hard. "Now use Thunderbolt!" yelled Wattson suddenly. Magneton sent a burst of electricity directly into Bayleef's body.

Ash's mouth dropped open. He was taken completely by surprise by Wattson's tactics. _I should've at least seen _that _one coming_, thought Ash. _After all my time with Pikachu... _"Bayleef, get away from there!" Ash shouted, trying to get his Pokemon away from its opponent's attack. He would have to recall Bayleef, and he knew which Pokemon he would use next. _But wait_, he suddenly realized, _I can make it easier for Quilava with just one more move!_ "Use Sweet Scent!" he commanded. A strong flowery scent filled the arena, hitting Magneton with a full blast. The Electric-type started to sway and its eyes drooped a little. "Nice job, Bayleef! Now, return!" he called, putting his Pokemon back in its Pokeball. Throwing his next Pokeball, he said, "Quilava, I choose you!" Quilava emerged, the fire on its back blazing, standing on its tiptoes, ready for action.

"Okay, Magneton," called Wattson, "use Shock Wave!" A cascade of blue electricity swept across the field, threatening to envelop Quilava.

"Counter that with Flame Wheel!" commanded Ash. Spinning within a wreath of fire, Quilava met its opponent's attack head-on. The Flame Wheel deflected the Shock Wave, and scored a bullseye in Magneton's midsection.

"So you're using fire?" Wattson shouted across the field in a jocular tone. "We'll just help you _cool off!_ Rain Dance, Magneton!" The six magnets all over Magneton's body started producing a metallic song with a strange beauty. It must have had some influence on the sky, because almost immediately, clouds began to form, and rain started to lash the ground.

"What the... oh no, fire attacks won't work as well now!" muttered Ash, alarmed at this turn of events.

However, as soon as he had stopped, Wattson ordered, "Magneton, use Swift!"

"You too, Quilava!" called Ash automatically. The two Pokemon each sent out a barrage of stars. They collided, cancelling each other out.

Pressing his advantage, Wattson commanded, "Alright, Shock Wave!"

As another Shock Wave headed for his Pokemon, Ash shouted, "Quilava, use Flame Wheel and circle around Magneton!" Quilava blocked the attack again, which was all that Ash was hoping for. He was waiting out the rain before going all out, trying his hardest to preserve his Pokemon's energy until then.

"Okay, Magneton," called Wattson, "time for a Thunderbolt!" The metal Pokemon sent out a more powerful bolt of electricity, which broke through the Flame Wheel to hit Quilava hard. Ash's Pokemon fell to the ground, writhing in pain. "Give it another Thunderbolt!" commanded Wattson.

"Use Eruption to fight it!" ordered Ash. His original strategy for dealing with this rain was a mistake, as he now realized. He was switching to a much more aggressive one, meant to keep Magneton on its toes until the rain subsided. The two attacks collided. The rain conducted the Thunderbolt well while cooling the Eruption; Magneton's attack was winning, and Ash knew it. However, this was only a diversion. "Okay, Quilava, go in for a Quick Attack!" he called suddenly. The Fire-type jumped aside at the last second barely avoiding the Thunderbolt, and then charged down its adversary.

"Dodge it, Magneton!" warned Wattson. However, Magneton was too sluggish. Quilava slammed into its opponent before it could move more than three inches.

"Good work!" called Ash approvingly. "Keep it up and use Flame Wheel!" Using its momentum from the Quick Attack, Quilava hit its opponent with another Flame Wheel and threw it twenty feet back. Just then, the rain stopped and the clouds cleared. "Okay, it's time!" yelled Ash in triumph. "Quilava, Eruption!"

"Counter it with Thunderbolt!" shouted Wattson. The two powerful attacks collided again. However, now that the rain had stopped, Quilava's attack was decidedly stronger. It beat the Thunderbolt and scored a direct hit on Magneton.

"Finish it off with Flame Wheel!" ordered Ash. One more Flame Wheel was all it took to make Magneton hit the ground with a clang, where it lay motionless.

"Magneton is unable to battle!" called the referee. "Quilava is the winner! Since Wattson has now lost three Pokemon, we will take a break! The match will resume in ten minutes!"

* * *

"Nice going, Ash!" called Dawn as Ash and Pikachu came running to meet their group.

"Yes," agreed Mrs. Ketchum. "I'm very proud of you. I can really tell that you wanted this."

"Thanks a bunch!" said Ash excitedly. "This match has been full of surprises, but I'm ahead!"

"But don't let your guard down yet," warned Professor Oak. "Remember, Wattson has two Pokemon that he hasn't used yet. Who knows what surprises he has planned with them?"

"Don't worry," assured Ash. "Even if I get hit with Sleep Powder, I'll be sleeping with both eyes open." The others all laughed.

* * *

When it was time for Ash to return to the battle, he did so with a small smile on his face. He was ready. Even after facing so many surprises in one battle, he was more confident than he had ever thought possible two weeks before.

"The match resumes now!" announced the referee as Ash and Wattson faced each other across the field. "Select your Pokemon!"

"Bayleef, I choose you!" called Ash, throwing Bayleef's Pokeball onto the field. Bayleef emerged again, ready for another round of battling.

"Illumise, here we go!" shouted Wattson, throwing a Pokeball of his own. A blue, feminine Pokemon appeared. It looked like a giant firefly, and it floated gracefully above its trainer.

_This is a bad matchup_, thought Ash, his face contorting as he took in yet another surprise. His hand instinctively reached for Bayleef's Pokeball. _I should use Glalie instead. Wait, that's too obvious. _He smiled. _But I have Bayleef's new move all ready. We can definitely win this one.

* * *

_

**Author's Note: Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everyone had a good holiday. Mine was great.**

**This was another difficult chapter to write, especially with Christmas and New Year's. The battle with Wattson was pretty tough to plan and characterize. I included some of the Mauville Gym Pokemon from the games on Wattson's team to spice things up, since a team with only Electric-types would be kind of boring. I was having some trouble naming this chapter too; I only thought of the title at the last minute.**

**So Ash is facing a completely unpredictable opponent. The battle has had more twists and turns than anyone could have expected. Now, Ash thinks he can beat Wattson's Illumise with his Bayleef. Is he right, or did he miscalculate?**


	18. Aftershocks

Chapter 18: Aftershocks

"Bayleef, start things off with Body Slam!" commanded Ash. Bayleef jumped high, trying to pin the airborne Illumise to the ground.

"Climb to dodge it!" shouted Wattson. Illumise flew higher, out of Bayleef's jumping range.

Ash smiled. Wattson had reacted just how he'd hoped. "Sweet Scent!" he called. Before his Pokemon even landed, it filled the arena with a flowery smell, which hit the nearby Illumise full blast. Suddenly, its eyes began to droop and its flight became wobbly.

"Illumise, Swift!" ordered Wattson.

"Bayleef, use Razor Leaf to fight it!" called Ash. The two attacks met it midair, exploding on contact.

"Now, Illumise, use Bug Buzz!" commanded Wattson.

"Quick, Bayleef, block it with another Razor Leaf!" yelled Ash. Illumise emitted a shrill, siren-like sound from its mouth, causing many spectators to cover their ears to block it out. The Razor Leaf, however, mitigated its effect on Bayleef.

"Focus it, Illumise!" called Wattson. All of the sudden, the sound waves started converging, forming a narrow, concentrated beam. It took aim at Bayleef—

"Quick, Bayleef, Body Slam!" shouted Ash. Bayleef jumped, avoiding the Bug Buzz, and headed right for its adversary.

"Dodge it, Illumise!" yelled Wattson. However, still affected by the Sweet Scent, Illumise could not evade the attack this time. Bayleef pinned its opponent to the ground and knocked the wind out of it.

"Now we've got this match!" cheered Ash. "Bayleef, use Ancientpower!" Trapped underneath its opponent, Illumise could not avoid taking this attack point-blank. The ground shook slightly from the shock waves of the attack, and Illumise felt the maximum force of the attack as Bayleef jumped off. Illumise was left lying unconscious in the middle of a crater.

"Illumise is unable to battle!" announced the referee, holding up a flag. "Bayleef is the winner!"

"You did it, Bayleef!" shouted Ash. "Good going!"

Wattson returned his fallen Illumise to its Pokeball, and called out his next Pokemon. "Swalot, here we go!"

Although Ash was surprised again by Wattson's choice of Pokemon, he had seen too many surprises in this battle to be shocked. He picked up Bayleef's Pokeball, and recalled his Pokemon as well, calling, "Bayleef, return!" He picked up Donphan's Pokeball instinctively. _No,_ he thought, _I shouldn't use Donphan yet. Wattson still has Manectric, and I'm gonna Donphan to deal with it. I need someone fresh to deal with Swalot._ This left only one choice. He threw a different Pokeball. "Glalie, I choose you!" Glalie emerged, and stared down Swalot.

"Okay, Swalot, Shock Wave!" called Wattson. Swalot charged up to release a jolt of electricity.

"Glalie, use Double Team to avoid it!" commanded Ash. Copies of Glalie appeared, forming a circle around Swalot. However, the Shock Wave not only got rid of all the copies, but scored a direct hit on the real Glalie.

"Come on, Ash, you can do better than that!" yelled Wattson across the field. "I always liked playing hide-and-seek, but you can't do that with a Shock Wave!" He laughed loudly at his own joke.

"Glalie, Ice Beam!" shouted Ash.

"Block it with Fire Punch!" called Wattson. Glalie shot a pale blue, very cold beam at its opponent, but Swalot parried with a fiery fist.

"Great!" said Ash. "Now, Glalie, Hyper Beam!" Glalie broke off the attack and shot another beam of light at Swalot, this one yellow-orange. Swalot could not block this attack, nor could it dodge. It was sent skidding backwards across the field, landing right in front of its trainer.

"Come on, Swalot," encouraged Wattson as his Pokemon struggled, "get back up, you can do it!" Swalot, with difficulty raised its bulbous, balloon-like body from the ground. "Alright,"said Wattson, "while Glalie still can't move, use Fire Punch!" Jumping high into the air, Swalot bounded toward its opponent, its fist again wreathed in flames. It punched the immobile Glalie into the ground with all its might.

"Glalie!" shouted Ash. He looked nervously at the spot where the two Pokemon were, but was relieved when Glalie, instead of fainting, starting moving again. "Okay, Glalie," he ordered, strike back with Crunch!" Glalie opened its jaws wide, biting hard on Swalot's lower lip.

"You know, Ash," called Wattson, "two can play the game you did to beat Illumise!" He laughed at the perplexed look on Ash's face, then commanded, "Swalot, Swallow!" His Pokemon's mouth opened even wider than it already was, dislodging its adversary from its lip. Then, Glalie plummeted down Swalot's throat.

"Oh no!" Ash cried in shock. Now he knew what Wattson's last comment was all about. Ash and Bayleef had beaten Wattson's Illumise by first making sure that it couldn't escape, and then pummeling it with a powerful attack. Wattson was obviously doing the same thing, and Ash had no chance of recalling Glalie. He would have to try attacking Swalot from the inside first. "Glalie, if you can hear me, use Ice Beam and try to get out of there!" he called. Ash saw the top of Swalot's head rise and fall slightly twice, the results of Ice Beams that could neither knock Swalot out of the match nor free Glalie from Swalot's insides.

"Swalot, time to use Gunk Shot!" commanded Wattson. Suddenly, a mass of unsightly black slime erupted from Swalot's stomach. It landed near the middle of the field, revealing not only a few loose pieces of ice, but also Glalie. Ash's Pokemon tried to get up, but rolled over onto its face.

"Glalie is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Swalot is the winner!"

Ash returned Glalie to its Pokeball. "Thanks, Glalie," he said. "You gave it your best shot. Take a nice, long rest." _Swalot took a lot of damage_, he thought, _but I still need Donphan for later. I can't use __Bayleef against a Poison-type, but how about Quilava?_ Ash suddenly remembered the Fire Punches that had caused so much trouble for Glalie. _Okay, then, here we go._ "Quilava, I choose you!" he shouted, throwing Quilava's Pokeball. Quilava appeared on the field, tired, but ready to battle again. "If you're tired," said Ash to his Pokemon, "we should wrap this up fast! Quilava, Eruption!" Quilava pointed the top of its head at Swalot, and let loose a powerful stream of lava.

"Swalot, counter with your best Gunk Shot!" Swalot sent a second mass of sludge right at the Eruption, and the two attacks exploded, igniting the muck that was already on the field and blowing the two Pokemon backward.

"Alright, Quilava," ordered Ash, "charge right through the fire and use Flame Wheel!" Quilava, its whole body covered in flames, barreled right through the burning sludge, powering up its attack with the fire on the field.

"I thought you'd do that, Ash!" shouted Wattson. "Swalot, use Swallow when Quilava comes in!" Quilava could not stop or change direction from Swalot's open mouth, but Ash grinned.

"And _I _thought _you'd_ do _that!_" shouted Ash triumphantly. "Quilava, use Eruption instead!" With a power that was boosted by its momentum, Quilava launched another Eruption. Swalot took the full force of the attack inside its open mouth, slammed into the back wall, and slid to the ground again, its body limp, its eyes blank, and its mouth full of cinders.

"Swalot is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Quilava is the winner!"

The crowd cheered. Ash, who had barely managed to win his last match, was in total control of this one. Now, he had three Pokemon left to Wattson's one. However, Wattson's last Pokemon was extremely powerful. Anticipation filled the air as everyone waited for Wattson to start his final stand.

Recalling Swalot, Wattson threw the Pokeball containing his last fighting-fit Pokemon. "Manectric, here we go!" Manectric appeared on the field again, eying the exhausted Quilava with a satisfied expression on its face.

Quilava suddenly started to get a red glow, and the flames on its back burned brightly. _That must be Blaze_, thought Ash. _Quilava's attacks must be super-strong right now. _"Okay, Quilava," said Ash, "this is Wattson's last Pokemon. You can beat it, and then we win the match. Eruption!"

"Manectric, Quick Attack!" called Wattson. Manectric dodged the Eruption, and crashed into its opponent, extinguishing Quilava's attack and knocking it to the ground a few feet away. "Now use Thunderbolt!" ordered Wattson. Before Quilava could get up, Manectric fried it with a powerful bolt of electricity. Quilava fell back down, and could not get back up.

"Quilava is unable to battle!" called the referee. "Manectric is the winner!"

Ash recalled Quilava, and said to the Pokeball, "You were great today, Quilava. You fought really hard. You deserve a rest." Ash smiled, considering his alternatives. Each of his two remaining Pokemon would be at an advantage against Manectric, Donphan more so than Bayleef. Even though Quilava had gone down without much of a fight, Ash could see that the match was in the bag. Still saving Donphan for last, he threw Bayleef's Pokeball onto the field, shouting, "Bayleef, I choose you!" Bayleef came out, looking excited to battle again. "Alright, Bayleef, Sweet Scent!" Ash commanded, starting the battle right away.

"Manectric, Shock Wave!" called Wattson. The two attacks collided, and instead of a sweet, flowery smell, an acrid stench filled the air. Bayleef, in its surprise, stopped its attack and took what was left of its opponent's.

"Bayleef, are you okay?" asked Ash. Bayleef swung its leaf back, shrugging off the attack and facing its adversary again. "So trying to stop Manectric from dodging won't work," said Ash to himself, his hand over his face to block out the smell. "Okay, Bayleef, Ancientpower!" he ordered. The same attack that had knocked out Illumise now sped toward Manectric.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" called Wattson. Nimbly avoiding Bayleef's attack, Manectric rushed at its opponent at top speed.

"It's on your left!" warned Ash. "Jump, quick!" Ash's simple idea worked. Bayleef jumped four feet up, and Manectric ran under it through thin air. "Now, Bayleef, come down for a Body Slam!" he commanded. Its back turned, Manectric could not dodge. Bayleef landed on top of Manectric's lower back, and Manectric's back legs collpased.

"Manectric, use Thunderbolt!" yelled Wattson. Manectric sent a powerful burst of electricity directly into its opponent's body. Bayleef writhed in pain.

"Get off Manectric fast and use Razor Leaf!" shouted Ash. Jumping off its adversary, Bayleef sent sharp leaves straight down. Howling, Manectric stopped the Thunderbolt. "Now use Ancientpower!" Ash called.

"Dodge, Manectric!" commanded Wattson. Manectric was only just too slow. The Ancientpower clipped its side, but it still managed to avoid the worst of the attack.

"Razor Leaf again!" ordered Ash, not wanting to lose momentum.

However, as the leaves closed in, Wattson shouted, "Quick Attack, and watch Bayleef closely!" Manectric ducked and dodged the leaves as it ran forward, not taking its sharp eyes off its opponent.

"Bayleef, jump just like before!" called Ash. However, at the exact same moment as Bayleef bounded into the air, so did Manectric. Wattson's Pokemon scored a hit with its Quick Attack, knocking Bayleef right back to the ground, where it landed on its left side.

"Manectric, Flamethrower as you come down!" ordered Wattson. As it fell, Manectric blasted Bayleef with a jet of fire. Ash's Pokemon was hit just as it was getting back up, causing it to fall right back down again.

The referee watched Bayleef closely. When it didn't move, he announced, "Bayleef is unable to battle! Manectric is the winner!"

Ash returned Bayleef to its Pokeball. "Great battle, Bayleef," he said. "You were awesome." He held up Donphan's Pokeball, holding it in front of his face for a few seconds. Even with the large type advantage, Ash could not afford to let his guard down. As long as it was up, Manectric was still dangerous, whatever disadvantage it would have.

"Ash, give it your best shot!" called Wattson cheerfully. "This battle's not over yet!"

"You got it!" replied Ash, smiling. He threw his last Pokeball. "Donphan, I choose you!" Donphan came out, ready to battle at last. It reared up on its back legs to display its energy. "Okay, Donphan," said Ash, "it's all down to you. Show your stuff with Earthquake!"

"Manectric, use Thunderbolt to fight the shakes!" yelled Wattson. Manectric aimed its attack right at the ground, and as the shock waves spread, the Thunderbolt caused the ground to splinter instead of ripple. It even cracked the place where Donphan was standing. "Now, Manectric, use Quick Attack!" ordered Wattson.

"Donphan, get out of the way!" shouted Ash. However, encumbered by the broken ground, Donphan couldn't move more than a few inches before the Quick Attack hit. "Okay, strike back with Rollout!" Ash commanded. The loose ground now favored Ash. Trying to shield itself from the pieces of rock and debris that the Rollout had sent flying, Manectric missed Donphan coming its way. The Rollout hit with no warning, and Donphan tried to come around for a fresh attack. However, the ground was a serious hindrance to its maneuverability, and Manectric dodged the second attack without too much difficulty.

"Manectric, Flamethrower!" ordered Wattson.

"Donphan, Hyper Beam!" called Ash. The two attacks produced a explosion which filled the air with smoke. "Okay, Donphan," said Ash, "the smoke's covering you! Get onto harder ground!" Crossing his fingers, Ash watched the smoke clear, hoping he would have enough time.

When the fuzzy out lines of the two Pokemon became visible, Wattson ordered, "Manectric, use Flamethrower when you see Donphan!"

"Oh no!" exclaimed Ash. "Wait," he said to himself, "that's it!" He had remembered another battle from a past year, in which taking a Flamethrower had actually helped Donphan. It had won him the Luck Symbol from Battle Pike Queen Lucy, and it just might work again. "Donphan," he directed his Pokemon, when you see fire, do a Rollout right into it!" Sure enough, the Flamethrower appeared a half-second later, heading straight for Donphan, who rolled forcefully into it. Ignoring the flames licking its body, Donphan plowed straight through the attack, finally hitting the surprised Manectric. The full force of the beefed-up Rollout knocked Wattson's Pokemon straight up into the air, and Donphan turned around, hitting its opponent again.

"Manectric, dodge!" yelled Wattson desperately as Donphan came in for its third hit. Just in time, Manectric managed to avoid getting hit by the Rollout again. "Now, Quick Attack from the side!" Wattson commanded. Manectric slammed into Donphan's vulnerable side as the flames around its body died, and Ash's Pokemon stopped rolling.

"Donphan, use Hyper Beam!" ordered Ash. Donphan struck back with a yellow-orange beam of light while still only a foot away from its opponent. Manectric skidded to a halt right in front of the referee.

"Manectric is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Donphan is the winner! And the winner of this match is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"YES!" yelled Ash, pumping a fist in the air. "We did it!" Running over to his victorious Pokemon, he said, "Great work, Donphan!" He hugged Donphan, who raised its trunk in celebration.

"Ash, you won!" came Misty's voice. Ash looked up to see his friends, mom, and Professor Oak detach themselves from the cheering crowd and run toward him.

"I'm so proud of you!" said Mrs. Ketchum, giving Ash a hug.

"That was an awesome win!" said Dawn.

"Yeah! Thanks, guys!" said Ash, still elated from his triumph. "Only four more matches, and I win the Champions' League!"

"You were some opponent!" said Wattson, who was now walking up to him and extending a hands. "I had the fun fight of my life!"

"Thanks, Wattson!" said Ash, accepting the handshake. "I haven't had that many surprises in a battle for a long time!"

"Yeah, I guess I put the 'trick' back in 'Manectric!'" Wattson laughed at his own joke along with everyone else.

"So what'll you do now?"

"I should get back to the gym soon. My Pokemon get bored without all of my jokes." Everyone laughed again.

"Well, good luck at the gym! I'll see you around!"

* * *

"Beautifly is unable to battle! Mamoswine is the winner! And the winner of this match is Dustin from the Nishito Elite Four!" This prounouncement officially concluded the second round of the Champions' League. Ash and his friends had watched this battle, an exciting match with many reversals, in which Dustin, an Elite Four member and Ground-type specialist from Nishito, had finally beaten Aaron, an Elite Four member from Sinnoh who had won the Champions' League the previous year.

It was the perfect conclusion for the last few days, which Ash and his friends spent celebrating his victory. His only break apart from this was to watch Morty win his match against Hillary, the same member of the Orre Elite Four who had defeated Harrison in the first round.

"That was one of the best battles we've seen so far!" said Dawn approvingly. "Too bad about Aaron losing, though."

"Yeah," said Ash. "But Aaron had his shot before, remember?" Ash, Brock, and Dawn had met Aaron in Sinnoh while he had been training for the championship match. They had watched his demonstrations, witnessed his tearful reunion with his long-lost Beautifly, and watched his loss to Cynthia on television.

"Yeah," agreed Brock. "I bet Aaron doesn't feel too bad about losing this battle."

"As long as all those _bugs_ are out of the tournament," said Misty with a shiver.

At that moment, an announcer said over a loudspeaker, "All competitors should join us in the courtyard in ten minutes, when we will be drawing pairs for the next round of matches."

"Good!" said Ash. "I can't wait to see who my next opponent is!"

Everyone emptied the stadium quickly. Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Brock stood in front of the giant screen that would show the pairings for the next match. Ash was pacing in anticipation. After handling the mess of surprises from Wattson, he felt like he could beat anybody, so he was hoping to battle either Paul or an Elite Four member. Finally, the selection took place, and Ash looked around wildly for his picture. He finally found it. He was paired with a grim-looking young man wearing a high-collared black shirt. His skin was extremely pale; it made his curly brown hair look almost black.

Misty gasped when she saw Ash's opponent. "Th-that's Lazarus!" she stammered.

"Wait. Who?" asked Ash, taking his eyes off his opponent's picture.

"Lazarus!" Misty repeated. "He beat me in the gym qualifier, remember?"

"Oh yeah! He trains... Ghost-types, right?"

"Yeah, and he's gonna be really tough to beat!"

"Why's Paul so angry?" asked Dawn suddenly, pointing at Ash's rival. Everyone looked at him. Paul's hands were clenched into fists, his teeth were bared, and his eyes were narrowed.

"I don't know what's wrong with him, but I hope he feels really bad!" said Misty contemptuously.

"It must be that," said Brock, pointing back at the screen that displayed the third-round pairings. They all saw what Brock was pointing at. Paul's picture was paired with that of a serious, middle-aged man. His hair was brown with a trace of gray, and combed haphazardly.

"So he's battling Brandon?" said Ash. He looked at the date and time of the match, and smiled. Paul and Brandon would be facing off in the last match of the third round, the day after his own match. "That's one match we've got to see!"

"But why would that piss Paul off so much?" asked Misty, perplexed.

The other three started explaining. When Paul was just starting his Pokemon journey, his brother, Reggie, had been on the brink of conquering the Kanto Battle Frontier. Paul had traveled down to Kanto to see the match between Reggie and Brandon, which had ended in a 6-0 shutout win for the Pyramid King. Brandon had challenged the shocked Reggie to find his inner strength, a message which Paul had taken to heart. Reggie had retired from battling to become a Pokemon breeder, and Paul had set out to make a name for himself as a trainer. Ash, Dawn and Brock had also witnessed Paul's own challenge to Brandon, where Paul had fared no better than his brother.

"That must have been about the time when Paul started looking for Roger," said Brock at the end. "He probably wanted to learn what had made Roger a champion, so he could co-opt his training and battling styles."

Ash thought about this. He had never considered it before, but now that Brock said it, it made sense. When he, Ash, had started becoming a harsh trainer on Roger's behest, it had been right after he had suffered a loss as bad as Reggie's loss to Brandon. Paul, a desperate and impressionable ten-year-old at the time, must have been in a prime position to accept all the cold secrets of Roger's success, and make them his own.

"Heavy stuff," said Dawn. "But that's why we need to see them battle! The high emotion will make it that much better!"

"Yeah," agreed Ash. "But don't forget, I have my own match to train for. And I'm gonna beat this Lazarus guy! Right, Pikachu?" His best friend cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm finished with another chapter that took longer than I thought. Ash won his match against Wattson convincingly, and is now facing Lazarus, a gym leader from his own region. Paul will be battling Brandon, who is partially responsible for Paul being the cold, uncaring trainer he is. What will happen in their matches?**


	19. Ghost Town

Chapter 19: Ghost Town

Before even going to bed that night, Ash checked a computer in the Pokemon Center to find out more about his opponent. If Lazarus was really as tough as Misty had claimed, Ash had to know as soon as possible. Predictably, nearly all of Lazarus' Pokemon were Ghost-types. However, there was a surprising lack of reliable data for his performance statistics; apparently, Lazarus had not battled for the six years before the previous summer. Why was there no information for those six years?

Ash allowed his mind to dwell on his opponent's lapse for a few seconds before bringing himself back to the present. He would just have to put together a team where he could expect the unexpected. Logging off the computer, he walked over to the video phone and dialed the number for Professor Oak's lab. Tracey's face appeared on the screen, looking a little tired from the day's work. "What's up, Ash?" he asked.

"Hey, Tracey," said Ash. "I just found out who my next opponent's gonna be. He's that new gym leader from Lavender Town who likes Ghost Pokemon."

"Okay, so who's it gonna be for your team?"

"Noctowl can make Ghost-types a lot easier to deal with, so I'll put it on my team. Other than that..." Ash thought, trying to think of other Pokemon to use for the match.

"Well," said Tracey, "you have Tyranitar. It's a Dark-type, so it'll leave Ghost-types at a disadvantage." Tyranitar appeared on the screen behind Tracey, flexing its muscles to show its eagerness to battle.

"Well... no," said Ash reluctantly. Tyranitar dropped its arms sadly and started walking off the screen. "Hey, Tyranitar, don't get me wrong, I know what you can do!" said Ash quickly. "I just still think you're not ready." Looking at his crestfallen Pokemon, he added, "Don't worry. In the next Champions' League we get into, you can battle all you want." Though not completely satisfied, Tyranitar gave a smile and walked away from the view screen.

"So, Ash, if you're not using Tyranitar, you should at least use Pokemon with moves that are strong against Ghost Pokemon," said Tracey. "So how about Muk and Croconaw?"

"Muk, okay... but I don't know about Croconaw..."

"Why not?"

"Well, I battled another Ghost-type gym leader in Sinnoh. It took me a long time to figure out how to beat her."

"So what does this have to do with Croconaw?"

"To beat her, I had to teach Pikachu, Buizel, and Infernape to use Counter Shields. And I might need something like that again, because I can't find anything out for sure about his style or his track record."

"Oh," said Tracey in realization. "So you want to use those three?"

"Yeah."

"So who's gonna be the sixth Pokemon?"

"Let's see..." As Ash thought about his choice, heavy footsteps sounded. A green and brown head appeared on the screen, looking Ash excitedly in the eyes. "Hey, Torterra," said Ash. "Are you saying you want fight in this battle?" Torterra nodded vigorously. "Okay!" said Ash happily. "Maybe I'll need a Grass-type for this battle. You're in!"

"Okay," said Tracey. "I'll send your Pokemon over."

* * *

The next morning, Ash woke up to find a dusting of snow on the ground. After eating breakfast with his usual group, he went over to the his training ground outside the city. Even in the poor conditions outside, he was anxious to begin training, since his opponent was so strong and Ash had so little information about him. However, he had doubts that his Pokemon would particularly want to train in the snow.

However, his worries about his Pokemon's willingness to train were unfounded. When he called them out for them to see their new conditions, they all agreed to buckle down and train as hard as ever. Even Torterra, who hated snow, was enthusiastic enough about the match to endure its discomfort.

"Thanks, guys!" Ash exclaimed when he saw his Pokemon's determination. "Let's go running first!" However, the traditional morning run was much harder in the snow. Everyone slipped and slid often, and they were all concentrating too much on not falling down to pay attention to where they were. They finally stopped, tired, in a hilly area with a few scattered groves of trees.

After catching his breath, Ash looked around. "Where are we?" he asked everyone, looking for a familiar landmark. Pikachu and Infernape made nervous noises as Noctowl started circling around. Since there was nothing in sight that any of them recognized, and some fresh snow had covered their tracks, Ash said, "Noctowl, fly around and try to find our training ground is. We'll just be in those trees." He pointed to the closest group of trees, and Noctowl flew off. "Come on, guys," said Ash to the others. "Let's rest in here." He made his way slowly toward the trees, his Pokemon behind him, and they all collapsed against tree trunks or onto the ground.

However, they had barely rested for half a minute when something unexpected happened; everything around them went pitch black. "What's going on?" shouted Ash, jumping away from the tree trunk on which he had been leaning. All his Pokemon got back up as well, looking around wildly into the darkness. Then, Pokemon faces appeared: a Haunter, purple and with a maniacal grin on its face;a Misdreavus, blue-green with very large eyes; a Banette, black with a mouth like a zipper. "We're being attacked!" yelled Ash. "Muk, use Shadow Punch!"

As Muk raised its slimy fist, though, a man appeared. He was much larger than normal; Ash's head was about as high as the man's ankles. However, Ash recognized him; it was Lazarus, his next opponent in the Champions' League. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said, glaring down at Ash and his Pokemon, who were now huddled together in fear. Then, turning to someone next to him, he said, "Alright, that's enough. I think they get the point." At his words, the darkness dissolved, and the normal-sized Lazarus, a little over six feet tall, replaced his gargantuan counterpart. Next to him was a Gengar with an unusually serious look on its face, while other Ghost-types floated around the grove.

"Hey, what's your problem?" demanded Ash. "You're lucky I really want to fight our battle, 'cause I can have you disqualified for pulling that crap!"

"No, I can't," said Lazarus, his expression as cold as ever.

"Yeah, your Gengar threatened us with all that weird stuff!"

"This is not my Gengar."

"Yes it is, I looked you up and I know you have a Gengar!"

"This is a wild Gengar. My Gengar is over there." Lazarus pointed at another Gengar, which was throwing a Shadow Ball at a circle of stones.

Ash was still suspicious. Pointing at the Gengar next to Lazarus, he demanded, "If this Gengar is wild, why would it want to attack us?"

"Because you barged into this grove, which is sacred for Ghost Pokemon."

"_Sacred?_"

"Yes. I am only allowed here because I am a Ghost-type trainer. Even though it's not as sacred as the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City, or how the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town _used _to be—"

"Wait a minute! Did you say, 'how the Pokemon Tower _used_ to be?'"

"Yes. Didn't you hear? The tower was bought by a radio station several months ago." Bitterness was starting to show in Lazarus' voice. "They kicked all the Pokemon there out of the tower. It's why I came back to found my gym in Lavender Town. The Ghost Pokemon from the Pokemon Tower need a place where people like _you_ don't intrude!"

"'People like me?' What's that supposed to mean? I was at the Pokemon Tower! I had fun with some of the Pokemon there! What's wrong with you?"

Lazarus' expression softened. "I'm sorry," he said. "Perhaps I shouldn't have been so harsh. But I feel all the pain of the Ghost Pokemon. They're refusing to let most humans into their sacred places anymore, and I don't blame them at all. Speaking of this, I suggest that you leave now. I won't hurt you, and neither will my Pokemon, but I can't speak for the wild ones."

Ash and his Pokemon wasted no time in getting out of the grove.

* * *

Finally, Noctowl came back to lead everyone to their usual training ground. When they were all back, Ash said, "Thanks a lot, Noctowl. Take a rest before you start training." Then, he started assigning his other Pokemon to training exercises. "Okay, Pikachu, Muk, you two are sparring together. Muk, this is a chance to practice your new moves. Buizel, you practice your Counter Shield. Infernape— is something up with you?" he finished, seeing a longing look in the Fire-type's eyes.

Infernape kept looking at Ash. After hesitating, it asked its trainer a question. Understanding, Ash said, "You want to sit this battle out and battle against Paul instead?" Infernape nodded vigorously. It was Ash's turn to hesitate. "Here's the thing, buddy... I really don't think it's a good idea," he finally said. "I know you want to fight one of Paul's Pokemon, but I really think the team I already chose for that battle has the best chance of winning. But for this battle, I can really use your Counter Shield." Infernape looked depressed, so Ash continued, "Tell you what. I'll find you another battle to fight too. You'll get another match in the Champions' League." Infernape looked pretty satisfied, so Ash said, "Okay, let's train. Infernape, you can spar with Torterra. Torterra needs to be kept warm," he joked.

* * *

Ash was careful not to leave his usual training grounds when he practiced over the next few days. As the snow melted before too long, this was not very hard.

The training was progressing extremely well. Infernape, Noctowl, Muk, and Buizel were all practicing moves that they had never used in battle before, and all of them seemed to be mastering their new moves. The couple days of snow were an endurance builder for Torterra, who even became tough enough to beat Infernape and Noctowl in sparring matches. Infernape was training diligently again, excited about the prospect of fighting an additional battle.

His only day off from training came on the first day of the battles, two days before his own battle. Normally, Ash would not take a day off so close to one of his league battles, but this day was special. Norman and Morty, Ash's closest friends who were still in the running, were both having their third round battles today, and Ash was giving everyone the day off so he could cheer them on.

Norman's battle was at 9:00 in the morning. He won convincingly, defeating Marissa, a Fighting-type gym leader from Orre. Ash cheered loudly in the stands along with the rest, but avoided talking to Norman after the battle, not wanting to see May's reaction to him showing up.

Morty's battle, at 6:30 that night, was an entirely different matter. Morty went down in a tough battle against Will, a member of the Johto Elite Four. Adding to the pain of that loss was the fact that while Morty trained Ghost-types, Will trained Psychic-types, and Will had overcome this type disadvantage for the win.

Ash ran down, along with Misty, Brock, and Dawn, who had watched the battle with him, to talk to Morty after the battle was over. However, as he called "Great job!" to his friend, he noticed someone else talking to the Ecruteak City Gym Leader. Lazarus, a particularly sad look on his face, was already in a conversation with Morty.

"Thanks, Ash!" Morty called back as Lazarus scowled. He then continued, "Lazarus tells me that you two are battling each other! Small world, right, guys?"

"Y-yeah," stammered Ash, still seeing Lazarus' sour look.

Morty turned to see the stony-faced Lazarus, and then started frowning himself. "You know, Laz," he said, "it won't kill you to lighten up a little."

"But Ash trespassed on a sacred Ghost-type area," protested Lazarus.

"What?" said Ash. "I didn't know, and neither did my Pokemon! We were all just lost and tired and looking for somewhere to rest!"

"Ash, it's okay," said Morty, breaking up the argument. "Laz, Ash wouldn't do something like that on purpose. And it's not _your _sacred area, so why are taking it so personally?"

"It's a sacred area for my Pokemon!" said Lazarus. "You know what happened to the Pokemon Tower! And you also know how you'd feel if the same thing happened to the Burned Tower!"

"You're taking this way too far," said Morty firmly. "It's great that you're sympathizing with the wronged Ghost Pokemon, but holding these kinds of grudges only proves one thing. You're not completely in touch with the Ghost Pokemon you love, whether yours or wild."

"How would you know that?" asked Lazarus.

"You know my friend, Eusine?"

Lazarus shook his head, but Ash said, "Wait..." The name sounded familiar. "Isn't he that Pokemon researcher?"

"Yes," answered Morty. "Lazarus, Eusine is a nationally recognized expert on legendary Pokemon. One time that Ash visited me, Eusine was there. Ash told that he had seen two such Pokemon that Eusine had never seen: Suicune and Ho-Oh."

Ash didn't even need to listen to the rest of Morty's explanation. He remembered what had happened: Eusine had been so jealous that he'd accused Ash of lying, and challenged him to a battle.

"So what does this have to do with me?" asked Lazarus after Morty had finished his explanation.

"Eusine's anger at Ash was based on his ignorance, not on any concern for or knowledge of legendary Pokemon. He just was more out of touch with legendary Pokemon than he wanted to admit. In the same way, you're more out of touch with Ghost Pokemon than you're admitting, even to yourself."

Lazarus left quickly after that, and Ash and company left soon after. "Was Lazarus like that in the gym qualifier too?" Ash asked Misty as the four friends walked away from the stadium.

"Not exactly," said Misty. "I mean, I could tell he was upset about something, but then again, I never walked in on a sacred Ghost-type spot."

"So you think what Morty said was true?" asked Dawn. "That he doesn't really know as much about Ghost Pokemon as he says?"

"I don't know," said Misty, "but he really is a good trainer. He won the Kanto gym qualifier and he's in the third round of the Champions' League."

"But no matter how good he is or how well he knows his Pokemon, I'm gonna beat him!" declared Ash.

* * *

The last day of training before the match went quickly. All of his Pokemon mastered their moves, and Ash just had a short review session on the morning before the match. Then, it was all rest and relaxation before the match at 6:30. When it was time for the match, Ash was pacing around excitedly, just waiting to walk into the arena.

"You really want to have this battle, don't you?" asked Mrs. Ketchum, happy at her son's excitement.

"You bet!" said Ash. "I'm totally psyched!"

"Just watch for any surprises," warned Professor Oak as Misty nodded in agreement. "You trained your Pokemon very well, and it would be a shame to lose because of one nasty surprise."

"Don't worry, Professor," assured Ash, "I had plenty of practice handling surprises with Wattson."

"Just do your best!" said Mrs. Ketchum.

"Yeah!" said Dawn. "We're all cheering for you!"

"Thanks, guys!" said Ash. "I'm gonna win this battle!"

A bell sounded inside the locker room, and Ash stepped outside to a wave of deafening cheers from the crowd. Lazarus was facing him on the opposite side of the field, glaring.

The referee started giving his opening speech. "This match is a six-on-six full battle between Lazarus of Lavender Town and Ash of Pallet Town. It will continue until all six of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue battling, with no time limit. Each trainer may substitute Pokemon at will. The trainer with the first attack will be randomly selected." An electronic roulette wheel stopped on a red wedge, indicating that Ash would get the first attack. "Begin!" said the referee.

"Let's start with a Counter Shielder," said Ash. Throwing a Pokeball, he called, "Buizel, I choose you!" Buizel materialized in front of its trainer, folding its arms smugly as always.

"Banette, appear before me!" called Lazarus. His Banette, black with its zipper-like mouth curled in an evil-looking smile, faced Buizel, apparently in a contest of confidence with its opponent.

"Okay, Buizel," said Ash, "let's start this battle off with Rain Dance!" Buizel sprayed water skyward, which formed clouds and came back down as rain.

"Shadow Claw!" commanded Lazarus. Banette rushed at its opponent, it right raised and emitting a dark glow.

"Buizel, Aqua Jet!" called Ash. Buizel shot forward with incredible speed right toward its opponent.

"Dodge that, Banette!" yelled Lazarus. However, his Pokemon was too slow. Buizel, its speed boosted by the rain, struck Banette's right side, knocking it over.

"Great job, Buizel!" called Ash. "Now use Ice Punch!" Buizel turned around and hurried back, its right fist glowing pale blue.

However, Lazarus ordered, "Banette, use Sucker Punch!" To Ash's surprise, Banette raised its fist faster than Buizel, hitting the Water-type in the gut. Buizel doubled over from the hit. "Now, Thunderbolt!" called Lazarus. A powerful blast of electricity struck Buizel at a close range.

"No! Buizel!" called Ash. The attack stopped, leaving his Pokemon hurt but still standing. "Buizel, Aqua Jet one more time!" Ash commanded. Buizel missed its target by inches, leaving its back turned.

"Another Thunderbolt!" ordered Lazarus. Banette shot another bolt of lightning at Buizel, who apparently had no way to dodge.

"Buizel, use Water Gun as a Counter Shield!" Ash called. However, he realized right after he spoke that this was a bad idea. The Water Gun would just conduct the attack, giving it extra power. In deserpation, he shouted, "Stop that, Buizel! Just get out of there!" Buizel dropped to the ground, catching a few volts but avoiding the worst of the attack.

Lazarus did not smile, but he felt the tide of battle turning in his favor. "Keep using Thunderbolt!" he directed his Pokemon.

"Dodge them all!" commanded Ash. _I don't know what to do_, he thought as Buizel nimbly dodged its adversary's attacks. _Buizel's on the run... I can't strike back because of that Sucker Punch..._

Suddenly, as Buizel finished dodging a Thunderbolt, it landed awkwardly on one knee. "Banette, Shadow Claw!" called Lazarus.

Realizing that Buizel could not dodge, Ash yelled, "Buizel, Ice Punch!" Buizel's amplified speed did its job once more; the Ice Punch struck first, hitting Banette in the face and knocking it backward.

"Banette, Thunderbolt!" ordered Lazarus, his voice full of anger.

"Quick," said Ash, "Water Gun, and stop it fast!" He crossed his fingers in his pockets, hoping this risky attack would work. It did work. The Water Gun hit just as Banette was launching the Thunderbolt, so that Lazarus' Pokemon felt the force of both attacks. Buizel stopped the Water Gun soon enough to avoid getting hit itself. "Now," called Ash confidently, "finish this off with Aqua Jet!" The stream of water scored another direct hit, which landed Banette on its back.

When Lazarus' Pokemon didn't move, the referee raised a red flag. "Banette is unable to battle!" he announced. "Buizel is the winner!"

In shock, Lazarus recalled his Pokemon. _Banette and I were together for six years,_ he thought. _I should have known that I was being too aggressive. Maybe Morty's right. Maybe I _do _need to get in better touch with my Pokemon._ Hoping he was wrong, Lazarus picked up his next Pokeball. _I'm counting on you, my friend_, he thought. There was absolutely no way Ash could prepare for his next strategy.

* * *

**Author's Note: So I just beat another bout of writer's block to get this chapter done. Lazarus was a tricky character to write about. For the longest time, I just wasn't sure how to do it.**

**So Ash meets Lazarus, a dour man with a long absence from competitions and a grudge against him for invading a spot that was sacred for Ghost-types. Even after losing his first Pokemon, Lazarus has a killer strategy that he thinks will seal his victory. What is this strategy, and can Ash overcome it to win?**


	20. Shifting Sands

Chapter 20: Shifting Sands

"Shedinja, appear before me!" called Lazarus as he sent out his second Pokemon. It looked like a bumblebee with frayed wings and a brown, translucent body, and a crescent-shaped halo topped its head. "Use Bug Bite!" Lazarus commanded immediately, starting the battle.

"Counter with Ice Punch!" ordered Ash. Buizel threw a punch at its opponent as Shedinja came in for the attack, but Ash was shocked to see the Ice Punch pass harmlessly through Lazarus' Pokemon. Shedinja's Bug Bite hit the equally shocked Buizel right below its shoulder. "What happened?" said Ash to himself as Shedinja flew away. "Buizel, Water Gun!" he called. This attack also had no effect; Shedinja looked as though it could not even feel it. "Buizel, return!" called Ash, putting his Pokemon back in its Pokeball. If its attacks were this ineffective, Ash had no reason to keep Buizel in the battle any longer. However, Noctowl might be of some help here. "Noctowl, I choose you!" he shouted as the Flying-type appeared.

"Shedinja, use Aerial Ace!" commanded Lazarus.

"Noctowl, Foresight!" ordered Ash. As Shedinja moved in for the attack, Noctowl shot red beams of light from its eyes, enveloping its opponent. Shedinja charged right through it and scored a hit on Noctowl. "Great job, Noctowl!" said Ash. "Now use Swift!" Noctowl sent a barrage of stars at its opponent, but Shedinja did not seem to feel this attack either. Suddenly, something clicked in Ash's mind. _Oh, yeah_, he thought. _Shedinja's special ability is Wonder Guard! Most attacks won't even hurt it!_

"Will o' Wisp!" called Lazarus. Shedinja sent five blue flames at its opponent. They encircled Noctowl, and flames appeared around its body before vanishing. The next second, it happened again. Noctowl was burned.

"Hang in there, Noctowl!" yelled Ash. "Air Slash!" Noctowl whipped its wing through the air, sending a powerful gust of wind at its opponent. Shedinja took the force of the attack, and landed on the ground with a low crumpling sound.

"Shedinja is unable to battle!" announced the referee. Noctowl is the winner!"

Lazarus returned Shedinja to its Pokeball. He immediately sent out his next Pokemon. "Gengar, appear before me!"

_Noctowl's not gonna last forever with that burn_, thought Ash, _but I can just use Foresight now and then switch out._ "Noctowl, Foresight!" he ccommanded.

"Use Mean Look!" ordered Lazarus. As Gengar took Noctowl's attack, it sent its own attack back at Ash's Pokemon, trapping it in the battle. Then, astonishingly, Lazarus called Noctowl back.

_Wait, what's he doing? _thought Ash. _Noctowl's burned and trapped in the battle. Why's he switching?_

"Marowak, appear before me!" called Lazarus. His next Pokemon was orange with a tan underbelly. On its head was the skull of some dead creature, while it held a large bone in its hand.

_What the... Marowak's not a Ghost-type!_ thought Ash. _And I didn't see it when I looked up Lazarus' Pokemon._ "Noctowl, Air Slash!" he commanded. The attack scored a direct hit on Marowak. "Now use Extrasensory!" Ash ordered.

"Block it with Bone Club!" shouted Lazarus. His Pokemon brandished the bone in its hand in front of itself, and Noctowl's attack hit the bone instead of Marowak. As the bone was ripped out of Marowak's hand, Lazarus called, "Marowak, Stone Edge!" Marowak hit Noctowl with a barrage of sharp rocks, making it drop the bone from its Psychic clutches. Marowak jumped and caught its weapon. "Now, Fling!" commanded Lazarus. Marowak threw the bone and Noctowl, hitting it in the chest. Ash's Pokemon fell from the sky. It struggled to get up, but did not succeed.

"Noctowl is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Marowak is the winner!"

Ash returned Noctowl to its Pokeball as Marowak retrieved it bone. "Thanks, Noctowl," he said. "You gave it everything you had. I messed up with all those bad calls." He threw another Pokeball. "Buizel, I choose you!" he said. Buizel appeared again, staring down Marowak. "Rain Dance!" he ordered.

"Marowak, Sandstorm!" called Lazarus. The sand clashed with the rain as each Pokemon tried to make its preferred weather condition dominate. Marowak was stronger than Buizel, and the swirling sands started to encroach on the falling rain.

Finally, Ash realized that Buizel was losing the weather fight. "Use Water Gun as a Counter Shield!" he commanded. The Counter Shield protected Buizel as it plowed through the sandstorm toward its opponent. Marowak, however, stood its ground.

"When it comes in, Bone Club!" ordered Lazarus. As Buizel moved closer, Marowak stuck its bone right through the liquid shield, hitting Buizel. Ash's Pokemon was knocked backward, buffeted by the sands now that its Counter Shield was gone.

"Buizel, Ice Punch!" shouted Ash desperately. Buizel threw a punch at its opponent, but with its vision slightly obscured by the sand, the attack missed.

"Marowak, Stone Edge!" called Lazarus. His Pokemon sent sharp rocks hurtling toward Buizel.

"Quick, use Aqua Jet!" commanded Ash. Buizel dodged and shot toward its opponent in a stream of water.

The attack hit, but Lazarus ordered, "Marowak, Bone Club!" Marowak gave its club a backhanded swing, hitting Buizel as it moved away. Buizel skidded to a halt on the ground, and made no move to get back up.

"Buizel is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Marowak is the winner!"

Ash recalled his fallen Pokemon. "Thanks, Buizel," he said. "You were awesome out there. Now you can just rest." He turned his attention back to the battlefield, where he looked at the raging sandstorm. He was in a bad situation, despite having as many Pokemon as his opponent. Not only was Noctowl out of the fight, but so was one of his three Counter Shielders. Plus, Marowak was going to be tough to beat, especially in a sandstorm. _But wait..._ Ash thought, _what if I can use the sandstorm for one of my own Pokemon?_ Making his choice, Ash threw his next Pokeball, calling, "Torterra, I choose you!" Torterra materialized in front of Ash, glowering at its opponent through the sand.

Lazarus was unpleasantly surprised by Ash's Pokemon choice. Torterra would be unaffected by the sandstorm, and Marowak would be at a disadvantage fighting it. However, he had no other Pokemon that could withstand the storm, so he didn't dare switch Pokemon. "Stone Edge!" he shouted, starting the battle again.

"Torterra, fight back with Earthquake!" called Ash. Barely feeling the sharp rocks hitting its body, Torterra lifted its front legs and brought them down hard. Marowak tried to brace itself, but the attack was too powerful to shrug off.

"Go in for a Bone Club!" commanded Lazarus. Marowak started running toward Torterra, raising its signature weapon.

"Quick, Torterra, Rock Climb!" ordered Ash. Torterra raised a rocky outcrop with its front legs, and Marowak barely kept its balance as it was raised right to the top.

"Fling!" shouted Lazarus angrily. Marowak threw its bone down at Torterra, hitting it in its armored back.

Torterra was about to climb the outcrop to retaliate when Ash called, "Don't climb it, Torterra! Bring it down with Earthquake!" Torterra launched another Earthquake attack, and the rocky outcrop collapsed. Marowak went down with it, and hit the ground hard before being covered with debris. Slowly, painstakingly, Marowak got back to its feet. However, as it did so, the sandstorm subsided. "Okay, Torterra," said Ash, "time to finish this with Energy Ball!" Torterra sent a glowing green ball at its opponent, scoring a direct hit in its chest. Marowak fell down again, and stayed on the ground.

"Marowak is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Torterra is the winner! Since Lazarus has lost three Pokemon, this match will resume in ten minutes!"

"Great job, Torterra!" said Ash triumphantly. "Let's take a break." He returned Torterra to its Pokeball and left the field, seeing a very angry Lazarus before walking into the locker room.

* * *

"How did you do that?" asked Misty, impressed by Ash's lead over Lazarus. "When I battled Lazarus, I was two Pokemon down by the time we had this break."

"I don't know," said Ash. "I really didn't expect him to use that Marowak. I didn't see it when I looked him up."

"I can't say where he got Marowak, but you need to be careful," said Brock. "He was overconfident with his battle strategies, but all his strategies are deep. If he used some of them now, you can bet that he has more."

"Sure," said Ash.

* * *

Five minutes later, Ash and Lazarus were back on the battlefield. As soon as the referee called for a resumption of the match, Lazarus threw his next Pokemon, saying, "Froslass, appear before me!" His white and purple Froslass appeared, suspended in midair over the field.

"Okay, Pikachu," said Ash, "time to get in and show your stuff!" Pikachu ran onto the field, watching Froslass closely.

"Use Hail!" called Lazarus. Suddenly, hailstones began to fall from the sky, pummeling Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" commanded Ash. Pikachu sent a jolt of electricity at its opponent, but was unable to see Froslass clearly in the hailstorm. The attack hit thin air.

"Now, Froslass, Shadow Ball!" ordered Lazarus.

"Use Agility to dodge it!" called Ash. Froslass sent a dark ball of energy hurtling at Pikachu, but Ash's Pokemon leapt to the side, and started running around the field at a faster-than-normal speed.

"Froslass, follow it and use Ice Shard!" commanded Lazarus. Froslass glided through the air, trying to keep up with Pikachu. However, Pikachu was moving so fast and changing direction so much that this was impossible. Froslass fired the Ice Shard out of frustration, missing Pikachu by two feet.

"Great work, Pikachu!" praised Ash. "Now use Volt Tackle!" Trying as much as it could to aim its attack accurately, Pikachu, its body wreathed in electricity, ran toward Froslass.

"Intercept it with Shadow Ball!" ordered Lazarus. Froslass fired a Shadow Ball at its charging opponent, trying to stop Pikachu in its tracks.

"Use Thunderbolt as a Counter Shield!" called Ash. As it kept running forward, Pikachu started spinning, releasing a burst of electricity as it did so. It blocked out not only the Shadow Ball, but also the hailstones that were falling all over the battlefield. Both the Thunderbolt and the Volt Tackle hit Froslass, sending Lazarus' Pokemon flying.

"Froslass, Payback!" shouted Lazarus. Froslass gathered its strength, moving back at Pikachu and striking back with a vengeance.

"Volt Tackle again!" called Ash.

"Dodge, Froslass!" commanded Lazarus. Pikachu launched another Volt Tackle, but the hailstorm clouded its vision, and Froslass quietly slipped out of harm's way.

"Pikachu, use Agility and try to follow Froslass!" Ash directed. He knew that if Pikachu could land another blow like the last one, he would have the upper hand. Pikachu ran close to Froslass, where it had a pretty good view of where its opponent was. "Now use Iron Tail!" Ash ordered when it seemed that Froslass was a foot away.

"Ice Shard!" yelled Lazarus. Before Pikachu could complete the attack, Froslass pelted it with a chunk of ice. "Now, Shadow Ball!" Lazarus called. While Pikachu was still in motion, Froslass hit it with yet another attack. Pikachu hit the ground hard, where it lay motionless.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Froslass is the winner!"

Ash ran onto the field, his head bowed against the hail. "Here, Pikachu," he said, unzipping his jacket and slipping Pikachu inside, "this should keep you warm." He ran back to his side of the field, and laid Pikachu against the wall. "Thanks, buddy, you battled hard today," he said. "I just didn't count on bad weather." Ash walked back up to the field, and thought about his next Pokemon choice. If he chose Torterra, he would be pressing his luck. So the question was, should he choose Muk, whose Shadow Punch could tear apart Lazarus' Ghost-types, or Infernape, who had used a Counter to great effect against Ghost Pokemon before? _Infernape can probably take the hail better than Muk_, Ash thought. _So I'll use Infernape now and save Muk for later._ "Infernape, I choose you!" he called, summoning his choice for the battle. Infernape appeared, flexing its muscles threateningly and staring defiantly into the hailstorm.

"Alright, Froslass, Shadow Ball!" commanded Lazarus.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" ordered Ash. The two attacks collided, exploding and hitting both Pokemon.

"Use Ice Shard, Froslass!" called Lazarus.

"Dodge, then use a Flamethrower Counter Shield!" commanded Ash. Infernape dodged the large piece of ice that Froslass had sent its way, and then tore at its opponent using a Counter Shield.

"Dodge it!" ordered Lazarus. Froslass glided to the side, but Infernape's Counter Shield did what Pikachu's did not; even though Lazarus' Pokemon avoided the worst of the attack, it took some of the Flamethrower all the same.

_Wait a minute!_ thought Ash, struck by a sudden inspiration. _If Infernape's Counter Shield can hit Froslass through the hail, can it actually _stop _the hail?_ "Infernape," he called, jump straight up and give it another Flamethrower Counter Shield!" Infernape sprang upward, creating another Counter Shield as it did so. The jump carried Infernape into the clouds from which the hail was falling. The clouds heated up, and then dissipated, and the hailstones stopped falling.

Lazarus was grinding his teeth in anger. He had hoped that the hailstorm would be able to hold Infernape off for a little while longer so Froslass could inflict more damage. "Froslass, Shadow Ball!" he yelled desperately.

"Infernape, Dig!" commanded Ash. Infernape dug a hole rapidly and vanished inside it. The Shadow Ball only hit the surface. "Now," he directed, "come up and use Flamethrower!" With the hailstorm gone, Infernape had the accuracy of a sniper. The Flamethrower scored a direct hit on Froslass, who hung in the air for a second before gliding down to the ground like a sheet of paper. Lazarus' Pokemon landed lightly, but was clearly unconscious.

"Froslass is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Infernape is the winner!"

Lazarus frowned even more deeply than usual as he returned Froslass to its Pokeball. His reached for the Pokeball that contained his last secret weapon, who could still decide the battle in his favor... _No_, he thought, _Gengar can deal with that Infernape. It's my strongest Pokemon. _Then, _I can reveal my final surprise..._ "Gengar, appear before me!" he shouted as Gengar materialized, wearing a wide smile and facing its straight-faced opponent.

"Okay, Infernape," said Ash encouragingly, "this battle's all yours! Start off with Flamethrower!"

"Teleport!" ordered Lazarus. As the jet of flames shot toward Gengar, it disappeared, reappearing behind its opponent. "Good," said Lazarus, "now Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge it!" shouted Ash desperately. As fast as it was, Infernape was too slow to evade Gengar's attack. It took the full force of the Thunderbolt. "Hang in there, Infernape!" called Ash. "Flamethrower again!"

A second Flamethrower attack made its way toward Gengar, but Lazarus commanded, "Gengar, Shadow Ball!" The collision resulting from the two attacks was a safe distance away from both Pokemon, but it filled the field with smoke. "Alright, Gengar, Teleport right beside Infernape!" directed Lazarus.

"Infernape, use another Counter Shield!" ordered Ash. Even though he could not see very well through the smoke, a cry of pain told Ash that his tactic had worked; Gengar's Teleport had taken it into the range of Infernape's Counter Shield.

"Gengar, Thunderbolt!" shouted Lazarus angrily.

"Infernape, Dig!" called Ash. Once again, Infernape went underground to avoid the attack from its opponent.

"Watch carefully, Gengar!" warned Lazarus. "Use Mean Look when Infernape comes up!"

Ash smiled when he heard this. Lazarus had just ordered a useless move; Ash was not planning on withdrawing Infernape from this battle. It was time to launch a real power attack. "Infernape, come up and use Flare Blitz!" he commanded. Infernape burst out of the ground, covered in super-hot fire, and it accepted the Mean Look as it barreled into Gengar, sending it flying backward. Infernape winced as it took recoil damage.

"Gengar, get close and use Thunderbolt!" Lazarus ordered. Gliding swiftly toward its adversary, Gengar sent a bolt of electricity ahead of itself.

"Infernape, Flamethrower!" called Ash. The two attacks collided, and the shock wave blew both Pokemon back.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball!" commanded Lazarus.

"Use Dig, quick!" ordered Ash. Yet again, Infernape escaped underground, and the Shadow Ball only hit the surface.

However, Lazarus now had a plan to deal with this. He called to his Pokemon, "Teleport right behind Infernape, then use Thunderbolt!"

_Wait_, thought Ash when he heard this order. _Noctowl used Foresight on Gengar earlier, right? And the Foresight should still be working, right ?_ "Infernape, turn around!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. "When you see Gengar, use Mach Punch!" An indeterminate noise, apparently of an attack hitting its target, emanated from the hole Infernape dug.

Lazarus smirked at what he heard. Did Ash _really_ forget that Mach Punch wouldn't work against Gengar? "Alright, Gengar, wrap this up with Shadow Ball!" he commanded.

"Infernape, Flamethrower!" ordered Ash.

Lazarus' mouth dropped open as a powerful burst of fire expelled his Pokemon from the under the ground. "What the... Gengar, Shadow Ball!" he yelled, bewildered.

"Infernape, Flare Blitz!" Ash called confidently. Infernape used another Flare Blitz attack, which blasted right through the Shadow Ball. Then, Infernape slammed into its opponent. Gengar collapsed after the impact, and lay facedown on the side of the field.

"Gengar is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Infernape is the winner!"

"That Mach Punch must have made contact!" said Lazarus to himself, louder than he had intended. "But how is that possible?"

"Remember that Noctowl hit Gengar with a Foresight?" called Ash across the field.

Lazarus slapped himself in the forehead. "I forgot!" he exclaimed, his face livid. "But it won't matter! My last Pokemon will beat all the rest of yours! Lampent, appear before me!" he finished, calling out his final Pokemon. It did not look like any Pokemon Ash had ever seen before. It was black, and looked like the top of an old-fashioned lamppost, complete with a blue flame inside it.

"What's _that _Pokemon?" muttered Ash to himself. He pulled out his Pokedex to identify it.

However, the Pokedex just had the unhelpful words, "Pokemon unknown. No available data."

"No data?" repeated Ash, now feeling a little nervous. "Doesn't matter," he reassured himself, putting the Pokedex away. "It won't stop my team from beating that Pokemon!"

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay! Chapter 20 is finally up! Sorry it took so long. I was almost finished with the chapter two weeks ago, but I foolishly hadn't backed up my data. I got this nasty virus that prevented my computer from even starting up. A simple reformat solved that problem, but needless to say, all the files that contained this fic were gone. It was really demoralizing to have to write the whole chapter again (and it was definitely better the first time!). Plus, since my mom's selling her house, I had to help her clean, which took the better part of the last week. Still... it's up now, so no worries.**

**So Ash's battle with Lazarus is in its final stage. Ash still has three Pokemon while Lazarus has one, but it is a Pokemon he has never even seen before. Will Ash keep his head and bag the win, or will Lazarus' overly deep strategizing get the better of him? Find out in Chapter 21 (Battle Spirits)!**

**P.S. Before I forget, there's one part of Chapter 12 that I will update shortly. It involves a Generation V Pokemon (Tabunne) whose English name (Audino) has recently been revealed. I'll change this as soon as I get the chance.**

**UPDATE (3/1/11): I just changed the last part to include Lampent. Special thanks to Yuki-Judai123 for telling me where to find Ranpuraa's English name.**


	21. Battle Spirits

Chapter 21: Battle Spirits

"Okay, Infernape," said Ash, "I know we never saw this thing before, but if you can beat that Gengar, you can beat this... what's it called?... a Limbent?"

"A Lampent!" corrected Lazarus loudly as the crowd jeered. "Just give it up! You've never even heard of a Lampent, so how can you come up with a strategy to beat it?"

"Like this!" Ash shot back. "Infernape, Flamethrower!" Fire spewed from Infernape's mouth, but Lazarus just smiled as it raced toward his Pokemon. The attack connected, but Lampent just shrugged it off. "What?" Ash yelled in disbelief. "Infernape, go in for a Flare Blitz!" As extremely hot flames engulfed its body, Infernape charged down its opponent.

"Wait for it, Lampent!" called Lazarus. "Get ready!" Infernape's attack hit its target. It did more than the Flamethrower, but Lampent was still holding firm. Infernape was steadily pushing it backward, fighting even through the recoil damage, but Lampent seemed almost unhurt. "Use Toxic!" commanded Lazarus suddenly. Lampent splashed its opponent with purple slime, and right away, everyone could see its effect on Infernape. Ash's Pokemon sank onto one knee, its strength ebbing quickly. Lazarus, however, was not finished. "Now use Hex!" he ordered.

_Hex ?_ thought Ash. _What's that?_ The answer to Ash's question came promptly. A circle appeared in midair around Lampent's body. In a split second, it formed itself into a design like an eye, and a dark beam of energy shot out of it, hitting Infernape in the face. The Fire-type fell onto its back. It tried and failed to stand up again.

"Infernape is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Lampent is the winner!"

Ash returned his fallen Infernape to its Pokeball. "Thanks a million, Infernape," he said. "You did great. Going down like you just did wasn't your fault. We didn't know what we were up against." Ash stared at Lampent, trying to find out exactly what his team had to fight. _It's kind of blue_, he thought to himself. _Maybe that means it's Water-type?_ It wasn't a lot to use, but Ash had to start somewhere. Throwing his next Pokeball, he called, "Torterra, I choose you!" Torterra materialized on the battlefield again, giving a bewildered look to its opponent.

_Perfect_, thought Lazarus. _He's acting just like he always does when faced with something he's never seen._ "Lampent, Dark Pulse!" he commanded. His Pokemon aimed a beam of dark energy right at its opponent.

Torterra braced itself, and took the attack head-on. "Great, Torterra!" said Ash. "Now, Energy Ball!" Torterra sent its own attack right back at its opponent, scoring a direct hit. Lampent, however, still looked unfazed. "Not again," muttered Ash. "So Grass-type attacks won't work very well either?"

"Alright, Lampent, Inferno!" ordered Lazarus. He smiled as he watched Ash's mouth fall open; this must be another move of which his opponent was ignorant. The blue, circular part of Lampent's body started to glow red. The red glow revealed itself to be a ball of fire when Lazarus' Pokemon sent it zooming at Torterra. It was another hit, striking Torterra in the back. After the attack died, more flames erupted momentarily before dying. A second later, another round of flames took their place before dying as well.

_Great_, thought Ash. _Lampent must be a Fire-type. And now Torterra's burned too! I need to go all out._ "Torterra, Earthquake!" he called. Torterra pounded the ground with its front legs, sending shock waves around the battlefield. However, due to its burning, it could produce a much weaker attack than it could usually manage.

"Jump and move forward!" commanded Lazarus. Lampent sprang into the air, jumping half the length of the battlefield toward its adversary. When it landed, however, the ground was still rippling, and it was shaken for half a second before getting back up.

"Now we've got it, Torterra!" said Ash. "Bite!" Torterra ran forward, closing its jaws on its opponent's head before Lampent could react.

"Hex!" ordered Lazarus. The Hex struck Torterra at point-blank range. Ash's Pokemon bellowed in pain as it was thrown backward almost to the wall.

"Torterra, give it another Earthquake!" called Ash.

"Lampent, Dark Pulse!" commanded Lazarus. Lampent was faster than Torterra. The Dark Pulse hit Torterra's underbelly as it reared up for another Earthquake, and Ash's Pokemon fell onto its back. "Hex, once more!" ordered Lazarus. Another Hex attack hit Torterra, who was knocked into the wall this time. The Grass-type was knocked right side up again, but its feet did not hold it. Torterra's body hit the ground with a loud crash.

"Torterra is unable to battle!" the referee said. "Lampent is the winner!"

Ash returned Torterra to its Pokeball. "Thanks, Torterra," he said gratefully. "I wouldn't have lasted this long without you in the battle. Now it's time for you to rest." He took his final Pokeball in his hand and stared at it. He might not know much about the Hex and Inferno attacks, but he knew that he had to keep his last Pokemon from getting hit by them at all costs. And he might not know much about Lampent, but he was pretty sure it was a Ghost-type, which meant that a Ghost-type or Dark-type move could deal major damage to it. Fortunately, his last Pokemon could land the right hits and avoid getting hit by its opponent. Ash threw his last Pokeball. "Muk, I choose you!" Muk emerged from its Pokeball, looking ready to enter the battle at last. "Muk," said Ash, "it's all down to you! Give this battle all you've got!"

"Lampent, Dark Pulse!" commanded Lazarus.

"Muk, Sludge Bomb!" ordered Ash. The two attacks collided, canceling each other out.

"Now, Inferno!" called Lazarus, trying to capitalize on his initiative.

However, as the fireball streaked toward his Pokemon, Ash shouted, "Minimize!" Muk's body contracted, squeezing into a tighter volume, and the attack sailed over its head harmlessly.

Lazarus ground his teeth is frustration. According to his most recent information, Ash's Muk had never used Minimize before. A more accurate attack would have to suffice. "Lampent, another Dark Pulse!" he commanded.

"Poison Gas!" ordered Ash. Muk spewed out a thick cloud of dark gas, which quickly enveloped Lampent, poisoning it. Muk winced as the Dark Pulse struck its body hard. "Great job, Muk," said Ash, "now use Sludge Bomb!" Again, globs of toxic ooze zoomed through the air at Lampent.

"Inferno!" called Lazarus. Lampent was only a little too slow with its attack. The Inferno connected with the Sludge Bomb after traveling only a few inches, exploding in its originator's face. "Use Inferno again!" Lazarus growled in fury. However, Lampent was now far away from its opponent, and the attack missed by a few feet. "Get closer and launch another Inferno!" Lazarus shouted. Lampent bounded closer to its opponent, launching its powerful attack again.

"Muk, Minimize!" commanded Ash again. Muk contracted its body still further. Again, the Inferno missed. Meanwhile, Ash could see that the poison was doing its work. Lampent's time in the battle would eventually run out.

Lazarus was thinking the same thing. He would have to land an Inferno attack quickly if he wanted to win this battle. "Lampent, get right up close to Muk and use Purgatory again!" ordered Lazarus. Lampent jumped toward its adversary again, its body glowing red, and Muk was too slow to dodge...

"Quick, Muk, Shadow Punch with both hands!" called Ash. Two Shadow Punches connected with Lampent, throwing it backward, and it released its fireball into the air.

Lazarus' mouth dropped open. Resigning himself to the conclusion that Lampent's Inferno was useless in this battle, he commanded desperately, "Use Hex!" Lampent's attack scored a glancing hit, but Muk just shrugged it off. After pulling off the attack, the Ghost-type seemed ready to collapse.

"Okay, Muk, finish this with another Shadow Punch!" ordered Ash. Muk swung its fist again, hitting Lampent on the head. Lampent finally fell, and the flame inside its body went out.

"Lampent is unable to battle!" announced the referee. Muk is the winner! And the winner of this match is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"Yes!" yelled Ash jubilantly, pumping a fist in the air and running toward his victorious Muk. "I _knew_ you could win, Muk!" Muk jumped on top of Ash, hugging its trainer affectionately.

Lazarus could only stand still in shock, his eyes wide. He had used both of his surprise Pokemon, Marowak and Lampent, in an all-out attempt to defeat Ash, who had such a callous disregard for Ghost-types. Even so, Ash had managed to win. _How did this happen?_ he wondered, still standing in the same place. Finally, aware of his surroundings, Lazarus recalled Lampent and ran off the field without a word to anybody.

* * *

Ash's victory party had him awake much later than he was accustomed to staying up. Ash had been mobbed by fans like never before as he left the stadium, and he could not get time with his group to plan the party. After trying (and failing) to do this several times, he had decided to reserve the hotel's banquet hall and include his new fans in the celebration.

Ash enjoyed the attention from all his fans at first. Whether someone requested an autograph, a story from his time as a trainer, or just a word of inspiration, he was more than happy to give it. However, the excitement began to wear off when several fans started demanding his undivided attention at the same time; Ash was never good at multitasking. Finally, three girls, all around the age of twelve or thirteen, all came up to him at once, blushing deep red. After he had signed an autograph for each of them, the only brunette in the group asked him, "Hey, Ash, umm... I was wondering... can you give me a kiss?"

"Uhh..." said Ash, dumbfounded.

However, before he could complete his response, the tallest girl, who had shoulder-length blond hair, said, "Hey, Sasha, what are you trying to pull? We played rock-paper-scissors for who gets to kiss him first, and _I_ won!"

"Oh, you two are such babies!" exclaimed the third girl, whose blond curls almost reached her waist. Stepping forward, she continued, "Can't you see that he wants a kiss from _me_?"

"No you don't, Penny!" yelled the other two girls in unison, each pulling a fistful of Penny's hair. A furious cat fight ensued, and Brock, Dawn, Mrs. Ketchum, and most of the others in the hall laughed loudly. Misty broke up the fight, grabbing all of three of the offending girls by the ears and escorting them out of the hall.

"Thanks, Misty," said Ash gratefully when Misty had returned. "I owe you for that one." However, the party became much less enjoyable after that. Many people asked Ash which of the three girls he would most like to kiss, and Ash, who wasn't interested in any girl at all, could only shrug nervously. All in all, it was a big relief when the last of the fans left at 12:45, and Ash, who was thoroughly tired, went straight up to his room to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Mrs. Ketchum knocked on her son's door to wake him up. "Ash? Are you up yet?" she called through the door.

Ash opened the door, still in his pajamas and looking like he had just woken up. "Hi, Mom, good morning," he said groggily.

"Nice to see you up, sleepyhead," Mrs. Ketchum teased.

"Why? What time is it?"

"It's almost ten."

"What?" said Ash, embarrassed. "Where's everyone else?"

"Oh, we all finished breakfast about an hour ago." Seeing the incredulous look on Ash's face, she continued, "Oh yeah, and you have a letter. This came in today at the front desk." She handed Ash an official-looking envelope.

"What's this?" Ash asked. He opened the envelope. It was an invitation to the Champions' League Christmas party, open to only the best eight competitors, Pokemon League officials, and their immediate families. "Wow!" said Ash. "So we're going to the party here?"

"Of course," replied Mrs. Ketchum. "But you'll have to get up earlier than you did today if you want to open presents beforehand."

"Okay, Mom."

"And you'll have to get dressed up nice, too! Who knows, there might be more pretty girls there who want your attention!"

"Mom!" Ash whined. He turned back into his room to get dressed, thinking. Christmas was only a week from today! And he hadn't bought a single present for anyone...

Mrs. Ketchum was thinking as well as she walked away from Ash's room. How would she explain it to her son? Someone else would be at the party who would make give him a startling revelation. Now, she only had until Christmas to explain everything...

* * *

That night, though, Ash was wide awake. He had spent the afternoon having fun with Misty, Brock, and Dawn, and the three were now finished with dinner. They were on their way to the main arena to watch what promised to be an exciting battle: Paul versus Brandon, a fitting conclusion to the third round. In addition to being the last match of the round, it was also promising to be the most heavily scrutinized. Brandon, with his three legendary Pokemon, was the most feared trainer in the tournament, and his every battle drew thick crowds and heavy publicity. An hour before the match, Ash and his friends made their way to the stadium, wanting to get good seats. They were talking excitedly when they saw a familiar face: Lazarus was standing in front of them. "Ash?" he asked, and they could all sense nervousness in his voice.

"Hi, Lazarus, what's up?" asked Ash, sounding just as anxious as his third-round opponent. He did not know what to expect after his battle with Lazarus.

"I owe you an apology," said Lazarus. "After you entered the sacred Ghost-type grove, I... took you for someone who didn't care about Ghost Pokemon. Because of this, my sportsmanship in our battle was terrible. For that, I'm sorry." He paused, then continued, "I also see that I sized you up wrongly. Reflecting on our battle, I could see that you care more about your Pokemon than I do. I tried to win by strategizing for your Pokemon without taking the strengths and weaknesses of my own Pokemon into account. Morty was right. I need to consider my own Pokemon first in a battle, like you do. I hope you accept my apology." Lazarus bowed his head in shame.

Ash was dumbfounded. Lazarus had been a jerk all through their battle, and he expected an apology to make everything alright. He half wanted to say this to Lazarus, but then remembered some of his own words and actions in the weeks before the tournament: his blow-up at Misty, May, and Gary, his harsh words to Infernape over a little mistake, beating all his Pokemon to pieces while training them... _He_ had been the one begging for forgiveness then, just like Lazarus was now, and it had taken him a great deal of courage to do so. Lazarus had to be almost as brave to ask for forgiveness now, even though he had not been a friend of Ash's before the battle. "That's okay," Ash finally said. "There were lots of times when I was battling you that I didn't know what to do, like when you started using... Lampent, was it?"

"Yeah, Lampent," said Lazarus. "I didn't expect you to beat Lampent. I caught it far away from here, in the Unova region, and it was one of my secret weapons."

"Unova?" repeated Ash. It was the first time he'd thought about this faraway region since talking to Professor Oak weeks before the start of the Champions' League. The reality of this new region to explore came back to him suddenly.

"Yes. I traveled there for six years, and I only came back to start my gym a few months ago."

"So _that's_ where you were for all that time! When I looked you up, I thought you just hadn't battled for six years!"

Lazarus chuckled; it was the first time Ash had heard him laugh. "Yeah. It's a great region too. You should travel there some time; you'd love it."

"Hey," said Dawn, "weren't we going to see Paul and Brandon's battle?"

"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Ash. "Hey, Lazarus, my big rival's battling at the stadium, and we're watching his battle. Want to come?"

"Sure," said Lazarus. "I guess I can use something to do before packing tonight."

The five of them continued toward the stadium, and managed to get seats only a quarter of the way from the front row. The stadium was buzzing with chatter about the match; everyone wanted to see how Paul would fare against the Pyramid King. Finally, it was time. Paul and Brandon made their ways to the opposite ends of the battlefield, and the crowd cheered loudly. Brandon was looking alert, while Paul's anger at having to face his nemesis seemed to have evaporated, and his face showed nothing but a cold determination.

The referee then started his opening speech, and the crowd fell silent. "This is a six-on-six full battle between Brandon of the Kanto Battle Frontier and Paul from Veilstone City. It will continue until all six of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue, with no time limit. Each trainer may substitute Pokemon as desired. The trainer with the first attack will be determined randomly." As in the previous matches, an electronic roulette wheel made this decision. It stopped on a green wedge, giving the first attack to Brandon.

Brandon wasted no time in sending out his first Pokemon. Throwing a Pokeball, he called out, "Regirock, I need your assistance!" The Pokemon that materialized looked as if it had been carved roughly out of stone. Ash had battled against Regirock before; Sceptile, one of his strongest team members, had been completely unable to defeat it. In Brandon's previous battle with Paul, Regirock had scored three wins. How did Paul plan to take it down now?

"Weavile, stand by for battle!" shouted Paul. The black and red weasel Pokemon appeared facing Regirock.

* * *

"Huh?" said Misty. "Doesn't Paul know Weavile's at a disadvantage?"

"Yeah," answered Brock. "But if I know Paul, he has another reason for picking Weavile. He definitely has a plan."

* * *

"Stone Edge!" called Brandon, bringing the match to a start. Sharp rocks made their way toward Weavile, who looked unfazed.

"Swords Dance!" commanded Paul. Weavile started spinning around, holding its claws out. When Regirock's attack came in, Weavile's claws just smashed the rocks into gravel.

"Focus Punch!" ordered Brandon. Raising a rocky arm, the legendary golem charged forward.

However, Paul called calmly, "Ice Beam, and aim for the feet!" Weavile's attack hit Regirock's foot as it was hitting the ground, freezing it in place. Brandon's Pokemon tripped, landing on its face. "Now, Metal Claw, back-to-back!" commanded Paul. Before Regirock had even gotten to its feet, Weavile was pressing the attack. Four Metal Claws made contact in rapid succession, almost knocking Regirock over backward.

"Fight back with Shock Wave!" ordered Brandon.

"Ice Shard!" shouted Paul. Weavile pelted its opponent with a chunk of ice, but Regirock stood firm and counterattacked. The Shock Wave hit its mark but appeared to do little.

"Now use Stone Edge!" called Brandon.

"Swords Dance!" commanded Paul. Again, the Swords Dance parried the Stone Edge, eliciting another round of cheering from the crowd. This was Paul's strategy at its finest; his Pokemon was defending itself calmly, waiting for an opening to attack, boosting its own power in the meantime.

"Focus Punch!" ordered Brandon as Weavile's back turned to its opponent.

"Dodge it!" yelled Paul. Weavile easily avoided the Focus Punch, darting out of range. "Now, Ice Beam!" he called.

"Shock Wave!" commanded Brandon. The resulting collision produced a white haze over the field, obscuring everyone's vision. "Alright, Regirock, Lock-On!" Brandon ordered.

"Stay ready, Weavile!" Paul warned his Pokemon. "Here it comes!"

"Hyper Beam!" shouted Brandon. The powerful yellow-orange beam shot right toward Weavile, who was cornered by the Lock-On.

"Metal Claw to shield yourself!" called Paul as the Hyper Beam closed in. Weavile crossed its long, sharp claws over its chest, and took Regirock's attack. Paul's Pokemon was blasted back, but it landed on its feet and appeared less hurt than it would normally be. "Metal Claw again, back-to-back!" commanded Paul. Recharging from the Hyper Beam, Regirock was powerless to avoid the latest barrage of Metal Claws. Three attacks had hit before the legendary golem started to move again.

"Use Shock Wave!" shouted Brandon, feeling himself lose the thread of this battle.

"Metal Claw again!" ordered Paul. Weavile slashed Regirock across its chest before taking the Shock Wave.

"Stone Edge!" called Brandon.

However, before the rocks had even formed fully, Paul commanded, "Use Ice Shard!" Regirock took the attack at point-blank range before firing the Stone Edge. However, the Ice Shard had ruined its aim, and the rocks all passed Weavile on its left side. "Metal Claw!" ordered Paul again. Jumping, Weavile delivered another powerful attack to its adversary's head. Regirock's knees hit the ground, followed in half a second by the rest of its body.

Shouting over the admiring roar of the crowd, the referee made an extraordinary pronouncement: "Regirock is unable to battle! Weavile is the winner!"

* * *

**Author's Note: Another chapter done! One battle ends, another begins, and in between, Ash gets his first taste of the dark side of fame. Ash has beaten Lazarus, and Paul has taken the lead over Brandon. Can he pull off a win?**

**UPDATE (04/30/11): Just changed the "Purgatory" attacks to read "Inferno."**


	22. DeRegilation

Chapter 22: De-Regi-lation

Brandon recalled Regirock with a strange expression on his face. He did not seem either shocked or anxious about Regirock losing this early in the match.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Dawn to Ash and the others. "Paul's really gotten better to beat Regirock like that!"

"Yeah," said Ash. "I wonder what Brandon's gonna do next."

"I don't know what else he _can_ do," said Lazarus. "Losing Regirock will really hurt his chances in the match."

The whole group turned their heads when they heard Brandon calling, "Salamence, I need your assistance!" Brandon's next Pokemon looked like a magnificent blue dragon, which took to the air immediately, roaring impressively.

"Huh?" said Misty. "Why did Brandon go with Salamence? A Dragon-Flying-type will be really weak against Ice attacks. Is he just giving up?"

"I don't think so," said Brock. "He didn't look that discouraged after Regirock went down. I don't know what he's up to either, but I think we'll all know soon."

* * *

Ignoring the jeering of the crowd and the satisfied smirk on his opponent's face, Brandon initiated the battle again. "Steel Wing!" Salamence flew right at its opponent, ready to hit Weavile with one of its large, leathery wings.

However, Paul commanded, "Use Ice Shard!" Weavile hit the incoming Salamence with a chunk of ice, almost stopping it in its tracks and causing it to roar in pain. "Ice shard again!" ordered Paul.

"Dodge and use Fire Blast!" called Brandon. Salamence flew to one side, narrowly avoiding another piece of ice, and hit Weavile with a powerful burst of fire at a close range. Still, even after being hit like that, Weavile struggled to its feet again.

Before Weavile was even fully upright, Paul yelled, "Now, Ice Beam!"

"Dodge, then Steel Wing!" commanded Brandon. Evading the pale blue beam that Paul's Pokemon sent its way, Salamence closed in, ready for another attack.

"Jump, and land on Salamence's back!" ordered Paul. Weavile sprang into the air to avoid its opponent's attack, and landed right between Salamence's wings.

"Throw it off!" shouted Brandon. His Pokemon flew high into the air before stopping short, and the momentum from the climb dislodged Weavile from its perch. "Thunder Fang!" called Brandon. Salamence turned its head, chomping Weavile's torso with its now-crackling fangs.

"Metal Claw!" shouted Paul desperately.

"Counter with Dragon Claw!" commanded Brandon. Salamence made contact first, swiping Weavile with the claws on its thick front leg. Weavile rose high above the the top of the stands before falling back onto the field.

"Weavile is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Salamence is the winner!"

Paul recalled Weavile, his smile replaced with a deep scowl. To everyone's surprise, Brandon followed suit, putting Salamence back inside its Pokeball. Then, as Paul reached for a Pokeball on his belt, Brandon threw another one of his own. "Registeel, I need your assistance!" A second legendary golem emerged from the Pokeball, which looked much sleeker than Regirock. Its upper body was more or less spherical, and most of its body was metallic gray, while its arms and a thick band down its middle, front and back, were black.

Paul paused when he saw Brandon send out Registeel. He put the Pokeball in his hand back on his belt, and threw another one instead. "Hariyama, stand by for battle!" Paul's Pokemon looked like a sumo wrestler, with its short, heavyset body, and it was flexing its arms menacingly.

* * *

"Why did Brandon jump into using Registeel?" asked Lazarus, puzzled. "He just gave his opponent the opportunity to pick a Pokemon that can beat it!"

"Yeah," said Dawn. "I don't get it either."

"But what's with Paul using Hariyama?" asked Ash, who was just as confused as everybody else. "Hariyama lost against Regirock last time, so why's he using it now?"

"Paul must have something new that he taught Hariyama so it's super-strong," said Brock thoughtfully.

* * *

"Flash Cannon!" ordered Brandon. Registeel sent a ball of metallic light hurtling at its opponent, who was too large and slow to dodge.

"Block it with Force Palm!" called Paul. His Pokemon threw its arm sideways, knocking Registeel's attack off course.

"Alright, Zap Cannon!" commanded Brandon. The legendary golem brought its hands close together, and an electrically charged sphere formed between them. Registeel then swung its arms forward, sending the attack at its opponent.

"Jump and use Fire Punch!" shouted Paul. Hariyama jumped with a tremendous effort, vaulting over the incoming Zap Cannon. It landed heavily in front of Registeel, hitting Brandon's Pokemon hard with a fiery fist, and the crowd cheered. Despite Hariyama being a large, slow target, Paul had trained the Fighting-type to avoid all of Registeel's attacks so far while landing a strong hit of its own.

"Flash Cannon!" ordered Brandon again. Registeel struck back with a new attack, hitting the still-close Hariyama and blasting it ten feet backward. Paul's Pokemon, however, appeared unhurt.

"Bulk Up!" called Paul as Hariyama shrugged off the Flash Cannon. His Pokemon flexed the muscles in its huge arms, and which seemed to grow larger.

"Use Hyper Beam!" directed Brandon, taking advantage of the setup move. Registeel brought its hands together again, this time emitting a yellow-orange beam of light from them. The Hyper Beam scored another hit, knocking its opponent so far back that Hariyama was almost standing beside its trainer.

"Now, Earthquake!" Paul commanded. Immobilized by its Hyper Beam, Registeel received the full blast of the attack. It swayed dangerously, dropping to one knee when it started moving again. "Fire Punch!" ordered Paul. Hariyama charged forward, landing a second Fire Punch on its adversary before it had fully steadied itself. Registeel blundered backward, reeling from the attack. "And now, a Force Palm!" called Paul.

"Flash Cannon!" shouted Brandon. The Steel-type golem gave a metallic grunt as felt the Force Palm, sending its own attack into its opponent's chest at the same time. Both Pokemon skidded backward.

"Earthquake!" Paul commanded. Registeel was still be very close to the epicenter of the attack, with no way to avoid it.

"Lock-On!" ordered Brandon. Registeel's last move before its knees gave out was to train its eyes right on Hariyama's head. Its task completed, the legendary Pokemon allowed itself to be buffeted by the rippling ground.

"Alright, Fire Punch!" called Paul. Its fists wreathed in flame again, Paul's Pokemon charged once more.

However, Brandon commanded, "Zap Cannon!" A crackling ball of electrical energy hit Hariyama with stunning accuracy, stopping the Fighting-type in its tracks. Hariyama was still standing, but struggled to move from paralysis.

A smile forming on his face, Paul ordered, "Get moving with that Fire Punch!" Although it was moving even slower than it normally would, Hariyama still made its way doggedly forward.

"Flash Cannon!" called Brandon. Registeel's attack socred a glancing hit, but Hariyama was oblivious to the Flash Cannon hitting its body. It swung its fiery fist into Registeel's head with such force that the Legendary landed on its back fifteen feet away; the crowd gasped, as most recognized the effects of the Guts ability at work.

"Now use Earthquake!" commanded Paul. A second Earthquake, much more powerful than the first, rocked the stadium, reaching Registeel when it was almost on its feet again. Registeel fell down again, and did not attempt to stand again.

"Registeel is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Hariyama is the winner!"

* * *

After the cheers had subsided somewhat, Lazarus shouted to the others, "I knew it! Brandon must have been overconfident!"

"Yeah, I guess so," said Ash. "What's Brandon gonna do with Regirock and Registeel both out of the battle?" They all turned back to the battlefield, and saw a small, inexplicable smile on the Pyramid King's face.

"Okay, now I'm _really_ confused," said Ash.

"Me too," said Dawn.

"Brandon must have had some kind of plan all along," said Brock thoughtfully. "It must have worked, too, or he wouldn't be smiling."

"Yeah," agreed Ash, "but what is it?"

* * *

"Alakazam, I need your assistance!" called Brandon, throwing his next Pokeball. A skinny, yellow, humanoid Pokemon appeared in front of him. Its head was shaped a little like a shield with horns, with an extremely long mustache, its eyes glittered intelligently, and it held a spoon in each hand.

It was Paul's turn to smile. Apparently, he found the obvious choice of using a Psychic-type against his Hariyama amusing. He recalled Hariyama and called out another Pokemon. "Magmortar, stand by for battle!" Magmortar appeared on the field facing Alakazam. "Flamethrower!" Paul ordered. Pointing its cannon-like arms at its opponent, Magmortar sent out a burst of flames.

"Barrier!" called Brandon. Alakazam waved its arms around, creating an opaque square that stretched from the ground to several feet above it. When the Flamethrower hit it, fire slipped around the sides and over the top, but Alakazam, who was right behind it, was unhurt.

"Get around that wall and use Thunderpunch!" yelled Paul, his voice full of anger.

However, as Magmortar ran around as fast as it could, Brandon commanded, "Psychic! Keep it behind that Barrier!" Alakazam's eyes and hands glowed blue, and Magmortar was lifted off its feet, its legs still flailing in the air. Alakazam made a violent motion with both hands, and Paul's Pokemon was thrown backward, landing faceup. It started to get slowly to its feet again. "Now, Focus Blast!" Brandon ordered. His Pokemon extended its arms above its shield, and fired its attack, hitting Magmortar again.

Paul gritted his teeth at seeing Magmortar reeling backward. "Rock Tomb right under the Barrier!" he called. A column of rock sprouted out of the ground, splintering a little as it raised the wall nearly five feet. "Now use Flamethrower!" he commanded. Another Flamethrower attack made its way toward the now-exposed Alakazam.

"Quick, Alakazam, Shadow Ball!" shouted Brandon, an edge of fear in his voice. Alakazam, with its fast reflexes, managed to stop Magmortar's attack with its own with a couple of feet to spare, but in the resulting explosion, the Rock Tomb shattered completely, showering it with stones.

"Thunderpunch!" ordered Paul, now sounding triumphant. While Alakazam had still not recovered, Magmortar rushed forward, its fist raised and surging with electrical energy.

"Barrier, now!" called Brandon. Regaining its footing, his Pokemon waved its arms again, forming another Barrier. The ground shook slightly as Magmortar, who was not agile enough to change direction in time, crashed right into it. "Focus Blast!" commanded Brandon. Inching around its new shield to get a clear shot, Alakazam sent a Focus Blast right into Magmortar's chest at point-blank range. "Psychic!" said Brandon, pressing the attack. Magmortar was lifted off its feet again, and flew headfirst into the opposite wall at an incredible speed.

Seeing that the Fire-type was not moving, the referee said, "Magmortar is unable to battle! Alakazam is the winner!"

Paul, his faced angry and his teeth gritted again, returned Magmortar to its Pokeball. He deliberated for several seconds before making his next choice. Finally, he threw another Pokeball, shouting, "Torterra, stand by for battle!" Paul's hulking starter Pokemon emerged this time, staring intently at its thin adversary.

However, Brandon switched Alakazam out of the battle as well, and sent out another Pokemon instead. "Arcanine, I need your assistance!" he called. A majestic, dog-like Pokemon appeared, its orange-and-black-striped fur coat and its white head shining magnificently.

"Use Earthquake!" commanded Paul immediately. Torterra raised its front legs, ready to shake the ground.

"Extremespeed!" ordered Brandon. In the blink of an eye, Arcanine bounded over the rippling ground, landing all four of its paws hard on its opponent, whose front legs buckled.

"Use Giga Drain!" called Paul.

"Fire Fang!" commanded Brandon. Arcanine was much faster than Torterra, and it bit its opponent with fiery jaws before the Giga Drain had fully formed.

Paul, his face livid, recalled Torterra. Although his first Pokemon was far from going down, he clearly thought that its lack of speed would be a big liability in this battle. Throwing his next Pokeball forcefully, he yelled loudly, "Drapion, stand by for battle!" A strange-looking Pokemon appeared. The main part of its body was long and fairly skinny like a snake. However, the rest of its body was not very snakelike. It stood on four stubby legs, and it had two thick arms that ended in claws designed for gripping.

"Alright, Extremespeed!" ordered Brandon. Arcanine bounded toward Drapion, ready to attack it in the same manner as it had attacked Torterra.

However, Paul called, "Intercept!" Drapion reached out quickly with its claws, catching Arcanine by its shoulder blades.

"Fire Fang!" Brandon commanded. His Pokemon sank its fire-covered teeth into one of Drapion's pincers. As Paul's Pokemon screamed in pain, Brandon ordered, "Iron Tail!" Using its teeth as a fulcrum, Arcanine flipped its body over, hitting Drapion hard in the face with its tail. When the Poison-type dropped Brandon's Pokemon, Arcanine landed gracefully on its feet almost directly below it. "Keep it up!" said Brandon. "Dragon Pulse!"

"Dodge it!" called Paul. As the Dragon Pulse was about to land a hit, Drapion twisted its supple body, and the attack only hit empty space. However, it looked like Brandon and his Arcanine were still in the driver's seat.

"Go for another Fire Fang!" commanded Brandon.

"Use Aqua Tail!" ordered Paul. As Arcanine bounded upward, ready to land a fresh attack, Drapion twisted its body around again, this time swinging its tail, covered in water, around like a whip. The Aqua Tail caught Arcanine between its shoulder and stomach, and the Fire-type hit the ground hard twenty feet away. Arcanine got back up with some effort.

"Odor Sleuth!" called Brandon. Arcanine stuck its nose into the air, inhaling deeply while keeping an eye on Drapion.

"Cross Poison, now!" commanded Paul. Drapion crossed its claws, sweeping them both through the air together, sending a toxic, purple X at its adversary.

"Dodge, then Extremespeed!" ordered Brandon. Arcanine dashed out of the way of the Cross Poison, then ran forward again.

"Intercept!" called Paul. Again, Drapion grabbed its opponent by the shoulder blades, stopping it in its tracks.

"Now use Dragon Pulse!" commanded Brandon.

"Dodge!" shouted Paul. His Pokemon tried to twist itself out of the way again, but to no avail. Arcanine waited until exactly the right moment, and scored a direct hit, right between Drapion's eyes.

"Iron Tail!" ordered Brandon as Drapion dropped his Pokemon. Arcanine flipped over as it fell, landing another hit right on top of where the Dragon Pulse had made contact.

"Use Night Slash!" shouted Paul, panicking.

"Extremespeed!" called Brandon calmly. Avoiding its opponent's claws, which were whipping through the air, Arcanine slammed into its opponent's body. "Now, Dragon Pulse!" Brandon commanded. This attack hit Drapion right above its legs. After flailing through the air for a second, Paul's Pokemon fell to the ground, where it lay completely limp.

"Drapion is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Arcanine is the winner! Since Paul has lost three Pokemon, this match will resume in ten minutes."

* * *

"What happened?" asked Ash as renewed cheers and boos emanated from the crowd. "The battle was going all Paul's way before. How'd Brandon pull ahead?"

"I think I know what's been going on," said Brock. "Remember when Brandon called out Registeel?"

"Yeah," answered the other four.

"It looks like Brandon was using Registeel to test Paul's preparation for the match."

"What do you mean?" said Misty.

"The last time Paul and Brandon had a battle, Brandon knocked out all of Paul's Pokemon using only Regirock, Registeel, and Regice. Brandon must have wanted to see if Paul had prepared for facing only those three Pokemon. That's why he sent out Registeel when he did. He must have suspected that Paul had that flaw in his training, and judging by what we saw so far, he was right. Paul needs to solve that problem right away, or he'll be in real trouble for the rest of the match."

"Hey, guys," said Lazarus, "how exactly to you know this Paul kid? Ash, you said he was your rival?"

"Yeah," said Ash. "For my last Pokemon journey, I traveled in Sinnoh. I met Paul right after I got there. We had a battle, and I was lucky to get a tie. Ever since then, I've been trying to beat Paul, but no luck so far."

"I can see why you had so much trouble trying to beat him. Beating two legendary Pokemon in one battle takes some doing."

"Yeah," said Misty, "but why does Paul beat Ash so much?"

"Why?" asked Lazarus curiously.

"Well," said Dawn, "Paul treats his Pokemon a lot differently from how Ash treats his. Ash is friends with all his Pokemon, and Paul treats his Pokemon like they're way below him. I think Ash has to be right, but why does Paul seem so much better?"

"I don't know," answered Lazarus. "I guess the best trainers aren't always who you want them to be. I always try to be friendly with my Pokemon, but I've met plenty of trainers who've told me I was stupid to do so. And yes, some of them have beaten me."

At that moment, a new cascade of noise erupted all around them. They all looked around to see Paul and Brandon taking their places on either side of the field. "Alright," said Brock, "let's see what Paul does now."

* * *

"Begin!" the referee directed, raising both flags. The two trainers sent out their Pokemon to resume the match.

"Salamence, I need your assistance!"

"Electivire, stand by for battle!" The two powerful Pokemon faced off, Electivire standing on the field brandishing its fists, Salamence flapping its wings several feet above it. "Use Thunder!" Paul called immediately. Electavire sent a powerful bolt of lightning at the airborne Dragon-type.

"Dodge and use Dragon Claw!" commanded Brandon. Salamence swooped downward, easily avoiding the Thunder, brandishing its claws as it did so.

"Protect!" shouted Paul. His Pokemon crossed its arms in front of its body, producing a green bubble around itself. Salamence hit the bubble, but could not land a hit. "Now, Brick Break!" Paul ordered. Moving from defense into attack, Electivire hit Salamence's head with a downward chop. However, Salamence just shrugged off the attack. The crowd jeered at what was obviously a poor chioce of a move; was Paul getting desperate?

"Steel Wing!" called Brandon again.

"Counter with Brick Break!" commanded Paul. Salamence's attack connected before Electivire could even raise its arm; the Electric-type took the wing right to its gut, sending it a few feet back.

"Dragon Claw!" Brandon ordered. Salamence closed in, ready to deal a much more devastating blow to its adversary.

"Now, grab onto it!" called Paul. As his Pokemon accepted the hit in its chest, Electivire bear-hugged Salamence around the base of its neck, wrapped its two long tails around its opponent's middle, and wrapped its legs around Salamence's lower body like a wrestler would. "Thunder!" commanded Paul, ignoring the intense cheering of the crowd. Electivire sent a powerful bolt of electricity directly into its adversary's body.

"Throw it off, Salamence!" shouted Brandon, panic in his voice. The Dragon-type somersaulted, looped around, spun around, and used every trick in the book as it flew, but it was all in vain; Electivire still had a firm grip on its opponent's body.

* * *

"Was Paul planning that all along?" asked Dawn in the stands as Salamence took another Thunder.

"He must have been," said Brock. "That Brick Break we saw earlier was just a trick to fight Salamence up close. Then, Paul could wait for his opening to do what he's doing now."

* * *

"Use a Dragon Claw to each side!" shouted Brandon. Salamence stopped flapping its wings to attack Electivire on its sides, plummeting through the air as it did so. Electivire, who was in severe pain now, finally let go a millisecond before hitting the ground hard on its back and rolling over. Salamence only just managed to steady itself in time, but when it did, little sparks of electricity were going off all over its body. Salamence was paralyzed.

"Quick, use Fire Blast!" ordered Brandon, watching his much-slowed-down Salamence and Electivire, who was still getting to its feet. Salamence opened its jaws to release the attack.

"Counter with Thunder!" called Paul. The bolt of electricity collided with the burst of fire, exploding and filling the whole arena with smoke.

"Spin around and go in for a Dragon Claw!" commanded Brandon. The smoke was thick enough that nobody could see Salamence while it was spinning. They could just barely make out Electivire, shielding its eyes against the swirling smoke. The crowd all gasped as Brandon's Pokemon moved in for a fresh attack.

* * *

**Author's Note: Another chapter done. These chapters are going much slower than I thought they would. I'll try to have another chapter posted in a week, but I don't know if I can promise it.**

**So Paul is fighting hard to catch up with Brandon in their battle. Can he win, or will he lose a second time against his nemesis?**


	23. APauling Behavior

Chapter 23: A-Paul-ing Behavior

Stirring up the thick smoke to use as its cover, Salamence flew toward its opponent as quickly as its paralysis would allow, while Electivire was almost blinded.

"Get ready, Electivire!" warned Paul sharply. The same question was on everybody's mind: get ready for _what_? The Electric-type certainly didn't look like it would be ready for anything. "Use Thunder dead ahead!" yelled Paul suddenly as a hole in the smoke opened up. Caught completely off guard, Salamence gave a pained roar. "Now, Giga Impact!" called Paul. Aiming for the same spot as before, Electivire shot toward its adversary in a blur, scoring another hit. The Dragon-type fell out of the air with a crash, and everybody could tell that it was down for the count.

"Salamence is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Electivire is the winner!"

* * *

"It looks like Paul's fixed his problems after all," said Lazarus.

"Yeah," agreed Dawn. "I bet Brandon's the one in trouble now."

"But how did Paul know how to beat that tactic with the smoke?" asked Misty, still confused.

"That kind of spinning must have been a lot like a twister," said Brock thoughtfully. "And every twister has an eye, which is completely clear. Paul must have remembered that when most other trainers would have been panicking."

They all heard the two competitors sending out new Pokemon, and turned back to the battle.

* * *

"Alakazam, I need your assistance!"

"Torterra, stand by for battle!" Again, the bulky Torterra and the slim Alakazam exchanged menacing stares, but this time, Brandon did not recall his Pokemon. Paul took the first chance to attack. "Use Giga Drain!" Bright green ropes of energy snaked for the mountains on Torterra's back toward the glaring Psychic-type.

"Barrier!" commanded Brandon. Waving its arms, his Pokemon constructed a protective wall, which stopped its adversary's attack in its tracks.

However, Paul immediately ordered, "Earthquake!" Torterra pounded the ground with its front legs, and the Barrier was no help to Alakazam this time. The shock waves traveled right underneath the wall, striking Brandon's surprised Pokemon. In a futile attempt to keep itself upright, Alakazam tried a balancing act, but sank to the ground anyway― and ended up with only half its body behind the Barrier. "Giga Drain again!" called Paul triumphantly. This Giga Drain wrapped around Alakazam's chest, draining its energy while restoring what little energy Torterra had lost. When Torterra had finished with its attack, Alakazam's stance was noticeably shakier, but its face was still set.

"Use Psychic!" commanded Brandon. Alakazam strained its face and its mind, eliciting gasps and screams from the crowd as it lifted the huge Grass-type off the ground.

Paul, to everyone's surprise, smirked as he watched his starter Pokemon squeezed by Alakazam's telekinetic powers. "Use Earthquake as soon as Alakazam drops you!" he ordered.

"Keep it up as long as you can, Alakazam!" called Brandon. "Try to end it right here and now!" However, not even Alakazam could sustain its attack forever, and the Psychic, powerful as it was, was not enough to take out Paul's tough Torterra. It finally stopped its attack, too tired to brace itself against the promised Earthquake, which was much stronger than the previous one.

"Now use Giga Drain!" commanded Paul. Alakazam was still getting up when the attack hit it, sapping its strength further. When it finally stood up fully, its knees were wobbly. Paul pressed the attack again: "Leaf Storm!"

"Focus Blast!" shouted Brandon. The two attacks collided, sending shredded, singed bits of leaves raining over the field.

However, the Focus Blast and Leaf Storm had barely touched each other when Paul had called out his next move: "Giga Drain!" For the third time, Torterra fed off Alakazam's fading strength. This time was one too many for Brandon's Pokemon; it collapsed on the ground, still staring across the field with blank eyes.

"Alakazam is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Torterra is the winner!"

* * *

"So now Paul's ahead again," said Ash, in awe of what his rival had just accomplished. "I bet he just made sure Torterra was in good shape for the rest of the battle."

"Yeah," agreed Brock. "That's why he was using all the Giga Drains. Brandon's Arcanine will give Torterra a lot of trouble, and if his last Pokemon is what I think it is, Torterra will have even more trouble against that one."

* * *

"Arcanine, I need your assistance!" said Brandon, sending his tiger-striped dog into the fight again.

Paul recalled Torterra, and threw another Pokeball onto the field. "Electivire, stand by for battle!" Electivire was visibly tired from its last fight, but it bellowed out its willingness to fight all the same.

"Extremespeed!" ordered Brandon immediately.

"Protect!" shouted Paul. Electivire managed to block its opponent's super-fast attack, making Arcanine stumble backward. "Now, Brick Break!" called Paul. Electivire switched from defense to attack without missing a beat, taking a swipe at Arcanine.

"Dodge, then Fire Fang!" commanded Brandon. The agile Fire-type quickly ducked the Brick Break, ran behind Electivire, and jumped right back toward its opponent's back, its mouth full of fire. However—

"Intercept!" ordered Paul. Electivire swung its tails through the air, catching Arcanine around the neck. "Now, Thunder!" he called. Both Pokemon glowed yellow as electricity surged through Arcanine's body.

"Iron Tail on the ground!" shouted Brandon. Fighting the crippling bolt of electricity, Arcanine wedged its tail deep into the ground. Although the electricity was still flowing, it no longer seemed to affect Arcanine. Ash and Brock gasped in realization; Ash had had a gym leader use the exact same defensive technique against him. It had almost resulted in a loss for Pikachu at the hands of a Pelipper. Brandon seemed to be using this same move against Paul to great effect.

"Thunder!" yelled Paul, apparently furious that Electivire's attack had been cut short.

"Dragon Pulse!" commanded Brandon. The explosion resulting from the two attacks hurled both Pokemon backward, and both struggled to stand again after getting hit. Arcanine, with its four legs, was quicker to recover. Since Electivire was still on its back and unable to use it tails to trap Arcanine, Brandon ordered, "Now use Fire Fang!" Brandon's Pokemon bounded forward, ready to land a clean hit.

"Brick Break!" shouted Paul. To everyone's surprise, especially Arcanine's, Paul's Pokemon pulled off its Brick Break while still on the ground. It brought up one of its powerful arms to meet the incoming Arcanine, causing the Fire-type to land hard on its back. Electivire quickly pushed itself upright, while Arcanine was still struggling to do so. Paul took full advantage. "Now, Giga Impact!" he called.

"Extremespeed!" commanded Brandon. Arcanine just barely managed to spring into the air, dodging the Giga Impact but also failing to land a hit with its own attack. Undeterred, Brandon ordered, "Now, Fire Fang!"

"Brick Break!" shouted Paul. The two attacks hit at the same time. Arcanine bit Electivire hard in the chest, while Electivire brought its muscular arm hard into its opponent's back. "Now use Thunder!" called Paul.

"Dragon Pulse!" shouted Brandon. The resulting explosion was colossal. It filled the whole arena with thick black smoke, and even the crowd screamed and dived under their seats as the wave of smoke washed over them. For nearly half a minute, nobody could see the two battling Pokemon. When the dust and smoke finally cleared, Electivire and Arcanine were revealed, unconscious and slumped over each other's bodies.

"Electivire and Arcanine are both unable to battle!" announced the referee. The incredulous roars of the crowd were somewhat muted by coughs, a by-product of the smoke. Ash, Misty, Brock, Dawn, and Lazarus all leaned forward in their seats, eager to see if they guessed Brandon's final Pokemon correctly.

Sure enough, Brandon called out, "Regice, I need your assistance!" The legendary Ice-type golem appeared on the field, ready to get into the fray at long last.

Paul then called out one of his two remaining Pokemon. "Hariyama, stand by for battle!" The sumo-wrestler-like Pokemon came back out for the second time, flashes of electricity still going off on its body. "Use Fire Punch!" ordered Paul.

"Blizzard!" called Brandon. An icy gale formed, but Paul's Pokemon charged right through it, holding both its fiery fists in front of its face to blunt the attack. Finally, Hariyama swung a fist into Regice's body. The legendary golem was knocked several feet back form the force of the Fire Punch.

"Fire Punch again!" commanded Paul. "Keep it up!"

Hariyama started charging again, but Brandon shouted, "Zap Cannon!" Hariyama took this attack, but kept running as though nothing had happened. It landed its second Fire Punch, another clean hit.

"Use Force Palm!" ordered Paul.

"Hyper Beam!" called Brandon. Regice regained its balance just in time to deliver this powerful attack at a very close range. Hariyama was blasted halfway across the arena, landing on the ground. It had a determined look on its face as it struggled to get to its feet again, but its limbs gave out again when it was halfway up.

"Hariyama is unable to battle!" said the referee. "Regice is the winner!"

* * *

"Looks likes Paul's lost!" said Misty happily. "I'm gonna love watching this!"

"I don't know," said Brock. "I know the types favor Regice, but Paul can still make it really difficult for Brandon. Remember, he was careful to replenish Torterra's strength earlier. He must have confidence in Torterra, even if no one else does."

"If he does, he doesn't know what he's talking about," said Ash. "Regice is really strong."

"But so is Torterra," said Brock.

* * *

"Torterra, stand by for battle!" shouted Paul, sending out his starter Pokemon again. Torterra watched Regice warily, ready to launch an attack at a moment's notice. "Get close and use Earthquake!" commanded Paul. Torterra plodded up to its immobile opponent as fast as its feet would carry it. It launched an Earthquake when it was only inches away, and Regice clearly felt the attack hit hard.

However, Regice started moving quickly afterwards, and Brandon wasted no time in calling out an attack. "Blizzard!"

"Leaf Storm, now!" Paul shouted. The collision of the two powerful attacks produced a strange hailstorm or leaves trapped in ice. "Now, Giga Drain!" ordered Paul. This attack was another hit. While Torterra seemed to be regaining some strength, however, Regice seemed relatively unaffected.

"Use Blizzard again!" called Brandon.

"Earthquake!" commanded Paul. At their trainers' orders, Regice attacked through the air while Torterra attacked through the ground. Both attacks hit; Regice took its second Earthquake, while Torterra bellowed in pain as the Blizzard hit. At the end of it, Regice looked to be on the verge of exhaustion, while Torterra was encased in ice.

"Now, Rest!" ordered Brandon. Regice took full advantage of its opponent's entombed state to take a nap.

* * *

"Now it's all over," said Ash. "With Regice healed and Torterra stuck in ice, Brandon's got this match in the bag. Regice almost beat Pikachu once with the same thing―"

Ash was cut off by a shout of "Leaf Storm!" from the battlefield. Everyone turned to watch. Torterra's body was glowing green as it shattered the ice with its powerful Leaf Storm.

"That looks like Overgrow," observed Lazarus. "Judging from the rest of the battle, Paul was definitely counting on it."

* * *

"This is it!" exclaimed Paul as the Leaf Storm died. "Get up close to Regice again, and keep using Earthquake followed by Leaf Storm!" Torterra lumbered up to its legendary adversary with a new determination. It launched yet another Earthquake, followed closely by Leaf Storm after landing. Everyone in the crowd gasped as attack after attack hit the sleeping Regice. Brandon started yelling frantically for his Pokemon to wake up, but it stayed asleep while taking the merciless barrage of attacks from its opponent. "Now use Giga Drain!" called Paul suddenly. His Pokemon's sixth Leaf Storm to strike died off, and Torterra attacked with a Giga Drain instead. It restored some of Torterra's strength, but finally seemed to wake Regice up at last.

"Another Blizzard!" shouted Brandon desperately.

"Hyper Beam!" yelled Paul. The two tired Pokemon launched their attacks, and Torterra's yellow-orange beam of light collided with Regice's storm of snow and ice. Both Pokemon pushed, each determined to have its own attack win out, while both trainers watched the show of strength with gritted teeth. Finally, after about fifteen seconds, the Hyper Beam won out, and hit the exhausted Regice hard. The crowd went silent as the legendary golem fell over.

"Regice is unable to battle!" declared the referee, prompting the crowd to scream louder than ever before. "Torterra is the winner! And the winner of this match is Paul from Veilstone City!"

* * *

As earsplitting cheers erupted all around him, Ash had his mouth open, stunned. Paul had just beaten a team that had included _three_ legendary Pokemon in a manner that Ash had thought impossible. He looked over at Misty, who looked absolutely horrified, then at Brock and Dawn, who were just as shocked as he was, and finally at Lazarus, whose eyes were almost popping.

"Wow," said Lazarus, who was completely in awe at what had just happened. "This Paul kid is an extremely skilled trainer. I won't be surprised if he wins the tournament. If he can beat Brandon like that, he might be invincible."

The other four looked at him in shock. Ash and Misty in particular didn't want to believe what Lazarus was saying, but he had a very good point. _He's right_, thought Ash reluctantly. _Look what Paul just did to Brandon's team. Look what Torterra just did to Regice..._

Ash looked back at the battlefield. Paul and Brandon had recalled their Pokemon, and Paul was wearing a twisted smile, obviously proud of himself for finally defeating the man who had beaten both his brother and himself. Then, Brandon, impressed with Paul's battling, walked up to Paul and held out his hand for his victorious opponent to shake.

Paul, however, declined the handshake, saying something that the crowd could not hear while his smile widened. Walking up close to Brandon, he shoved the Pyramid King hard with his shoulder and headed back toward his locker room.

The effect on everybody who was watching was immediate. Almost instantly, the admiring cheers for Paul turned into loud boos. A loud whistle sounded, and the referee ran into the locker room after Paul.

"And why did he do that?" shouted Lazarus indignantly. "There are any number of disciplinary actions that the Pokemon League can take for doing that! Paul can even be disqualified!"

"I don't know," said Misty miserably. "Let's just get out of here." The five of them walked outside, following.

"So you think Paul will be out of the tournament?" Ash asked when everyone was outside.

"I don't know," said Brock. "We'll have to wait and see."

"We can check here," said Lazarus, reaching into his pocket. When he took his hand out, he was holding a palm pilot. The other four crowded around him, looking at the screen intently, as Lazarus brought up the official Champions' League web page. He refreshed every so often for almost an hour before the page finally displayed the verdict. "Okay," he said, "it looks like Paul was just let off with a warning. He's lucky, because trainers have been disqualified in the past for showing that kind of disrespect to their opponents."

"Well, I guess Paul showed a little more respect to the league officials," said Dawn, her voice slightly flat. "From what I know about him, he respects the people he has to respect."

"Well, it's a good thing he's still in," said Lazarus, "because it would be a shame to get pulled from the League after a win like that." Lazarus glanced at his watch. "Sorry, guys," he said, "but I have to finish packing. My boat back to Kanto leaves tomorrow morning." He shook hands with all of them, and left for the hotel.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," said the voice of an announcer, catching everyone's attention, "we bring you the quarterfinal pairings!" Pictures of the eight trainers who were still in the running appeared on the screen as Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Brock watched intently. Finally, the pairings appeared.

Ash almost had a heart attack when he saw his picture. He would be facing Paul next. "Hey, guys," he said, "I need to take a walk." Before anyone could say anything to him, he ran away from the arena.

* * *

Ash's walk took him far outside Goldenrod City. He had to find some time away from everyone, whether his mom, his friends, or his fans, to try coming to terms with his situation. He was coming to the moment for which he had waited for the past few months; he would soon have another chance to try his strength against Paul. However, now that this impending match was so close at hand, and now that he'd seen Paul fight at a new level of skill, the confidence that Ash had built for himself all throughout the tournament was quickly ebbing away. Paul was perhaps the greatest obstacle Ash had ever faced as a trainer, but now, Paul had just surmounted his own greatest obstacle with his win over Brandon. This would surely make Paul an even bigger obstacle for his longtime rival, and Ash was starting to seriously doubt that he was equal to the task.

Ash remembered what Lazarus had said just over an hour before. _If he can beat Brandon like that, he might be invincible._ It seemed like Lazarus could be right about this. Ash remembered several other battles where Paul had used overwhelming power to smash his opponents. Nearly a year ago now, Ash and Paul had been partnered in a tag battle tournament. In the semifinals, Paul's Torterra had wiped the floor with both opposing Pokemon, while Ash's Staravia had been little more than a spectator. Paul's more recent battle with Misty also came to Ash's mind; Torterra had dominated this match as well, easily defeating Misty's Starmie and Gyarados. At the same time, though, Paul had lost crushingly against the best of the best; Ash had seen Cynthia, the national champion, beat four of Paul's Pokemon with only her Garchomp. However, now that Paul had defeated Brandon, Paul certainly seemed to be as invincible as Lazarus had said.

But why? Why should Paul be the invincible one? Not for the first time, this question floated to the front of Ash's mind. It was accompanied by something he'd heard from Roger: _You might not like what I taught Paul, and what I taught you, but it gets results._ Paul's hard training style certainly _had_ gotten him some good results. He was the Sinnoh League Champion, and in the Champions' League, he had beaten not only Brandon, but also another Frontier Brain and an Elite Four member. _I guess the best trainers aren't always who you want them to be,_ Lazarus had said.

But what about the task that Roger had given Ash, to defeat Paul in a battle and bring him back down to earth? Even Roger, Paul's mentor, who had taught him that high standards and a harsh attitude toward training was the secret to success, had had doubts about the direction Paul was taking his training. Roger had seemed disturbed that Paul took a such a hard line on winning and losing; if Paul won a battle, his Pokemon might or might not be up to his standards; if he lost, his Pokemon were inexcusably weak. The same went for Paul's opponents: if they could beat him, they were worthy of his respect; if they could not, he would hold them in contempt. In this way, Paul was an even colder trainer than Roger was, and it seemed to work well enough for him.

But what did this say about Ash's training style? Paul's most frequent description of Ash was "pathetic," mainly owing to Ash's confidence that the bonds of trust and friendship were the ways to help a Pokemon become stronger. Ash went over his own wins at the Champions' League in his mind, trying to find some indication that Paul was wrong. However, even though Ash had won as many battles as Paul had, his opponents had been considerably less skilled than his rival's had been; whereas Paul had defeated two Frontier Brains and an Elite Four member, Ash had beaten two gym leaders and the winner of an out-of-the-way Pokemon League. It didn't take a genius to see who had the bigger accomplishment. Then, Ash also remembered that Roger's training, even though he was rejecting the aspects he found most objectionable, had been instrumental in his getting to the quarterfinals. He didn't see how he could have made it this far without Gabite's Iron Head, Croconaw's Slash, Bayleef's Ancientpower, Buizel's Rain Dance, or Muk's Shadow Punch— all moves that Roger had suggested— and in the initial stages of teaching those moves, Ash had been hard enough in his training to make Roger proud.

These doubts kept gnawing at Ash as he walked, barely paying attention to where he was going in the dark. After several hours of brooding, however, he heard a car drive past him, and he looked around. He'd walked right back into a populated area without even realizing it. He looked at his watch. It was almost midnight, making it Ash's second late night in a row. He had to get back to hotel and get some sleep. He started jogging back toward the city center. But before even getting there, Ash remembered one more stop he had to make. Even though his match was three and a half weeks away, with the Christmas and New Year's celebrations in between, he needed to switch his Pokemon, and bring his power team to Goldenrod City for its intended purpose. Whatever doubts he was having about his next match, Ash had not lost his determination to make it as tough as he could for Paul to win.

Ash stumbled into the Pokemon Center and ran to the video phone. He dialed the number for Professor Oak's lab, and Tracey, who was rubbing his eyes sleepily, answered. "Hey, Ash," he said, "what's up?"

"Hey, Tracey," said Ash. "It's time..."

* * *

Mrs. Ketchum, Misty, Brock, and Dawn, staggered into the hotel lobby, breathless. "Any sign of him?" asked Mrs. Ketchum worriedly.

"No," said Misty.

"Where would he go for this long?" asked Dawn.

As if in answer, the revolving door spun around again, and Ash stepped out of it. "Hey, guys," he said, a glum look on his face.

"Ash, where have you been?" demanded his mother. "We were looking all over the city for you!"

"Sorry, Mom," said Ash tonelessly. "I just needed a little time away from everything."

"A little time? That's no excuse to go running around at night—"

"I'm sorry, alright? I just needed to get away from everything for a while." Ash turned away after saying this, heading for the elevators.

Mrs. Ketchum turned to Ash's friends. "What's the matter with Ash?" she asked them. "I don't remember the last time I've seen him this upset. You said his rival won today? Phil, right?"

"Paul," corrected Brock. "Yeah, Paul just had probably his biggest win ever this evening. And now, Ash and Paul have their next match together. Ash took it really hard."

"Wow... Well... if he's going to bed now, he probably has the right idea. We know he's safe now, so we should get some sleep too."

After reaching their floor, the four of them said good night to one another and went into their separate rooms. However, upon entering hers, Mrs. Ketchum did not get into bed. After making sure the door was closed, she reached inside her purse, and took out her cell phone. She had long dreaded making this call, but she realized that if she was to work for her son's good, she had no other choice. With shaking hands, she dialed the number.

After a few rings, a man at the other end said, "Hello, Delia. What's going on?"

"Hi," said Mrs. Ketchum. "You heard about Ash's rival winning today, right?"

"Yeah. He's a very talented trainer, and under different circumstances, I would've been in that crowd cheering for him."

"And how Ash will battle him next?"

"Of course."

"Ash isn't too happy about it."

"He's not just nervous?"

"No. He just disappeared for several hours after the pairings were announced. I think he's having a big crisis of confidence."

"Okay. Want me to say something to him?"

Mrs. Ketchum hesitated. "I think we should tell him... you know... everything."

"What? Are you serious? Didn't we agree that it's better for Ash not to know?"

"Yeah, but... I think we were both being selfish for deciding that."

"Because we didn't want to deter Ash from following his dream?"

"No. I think we both had other reasons for not telling him. There's really no reason for it _now_. To be honest... I let my anger at you cloud my judgment. Keeping your son away from you was the only punishment I thought you deserved."

"You might have been right with that."

"And at the same time, I think you were thinking more about your new life. The chance you took to put your mistakes in the past."

There was a pause. "Being honest with myself... I think your right about that too. Ash should definitely know."

"I'll tell him if you want," offered Mrs. Ketchum.

"No," said the man at the other end. "If Ash really is dealing with a crisis in confidence about his training, he should really hear it from me."

"Thanks," said Mrs. Ketchum. "I'm glad we got that settled. So how are your other kids?"

"Okay. They're asleep right now. We're planning a day in town for tomorrow."

"Good. Well, since it's late, we'd both better go to bed."

"Okay. I'll remember to tell Ash as soon as I can."

"Thanks again. Goodbye." Mrs. Ketchum hung up her phone, brushed her teeth, and went to bed. As she drifted off to sleep, she was thinking about her decision. She was certain that it was the right one, but even so, she was anxious about what would transpire as a result.

* * *

**Author's Note: So I actually managed to finish this chapter in less than a week! :) Plus, it's a longer one than I've written in months. Hope you guys liked it, because I've been planning it for a long time.**

**So now that Paul has defeated Brandon in spectacular fashion, Ash is set to face him next, and Ash has serious doubts about his chances. Meanwhile, someone else has agreed to make a big confession to Ash... but who is it?**


	24. Our Father

Chapter 24: Our Father

Despite his two consecutive late nights, Ash woke at his usual time the next day with a pounding headache. He couldn't afford another sleep-in with his match with Paul so close. Yawning widely, he got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. "Hey, everyone," he said to his assembled group, the tiredness in his voice apparent.

"Are you okay?" asked Brock. "I know how it has to be for you right now. Just don't go overboard on the training like you did before."

"I won't," said Ash.

"Ash," said Misty, unconvinced by his response, "seriously, just remember to cool it. Maybe you should even take today off."

"I can't do that!" exclaimed Ash. "I want to win this match more than any of my others!"

Nobody said anything. Ash ate quickly without another word, while everyone around him kept looking at him nervously. For several minutes, the table was completely silent except for the requests to pass food around. Finally, Professor Oak took out a newspaper, reading it while everyone continued eating. Silence still reigned supreme until he reached the section about Pokemon battles.

"Hmmm," the professor said upon opening this section. "It seems like the newspaper invited its readers to give their opinions of all the quarterfinalists."

"Really?" asked Ash anxiously. "What are they saying?"

"There's this one about your rival: 'He's proved himself by beating Brandon, even though he might have the sportsmanship of a child. If he wins, which he might well, I hope he's more mature than he demonstrated in his third round match.'"

"Wow..." said Ash. It sounded like he considered Paul to be a favorite in the tournament, even though he didn't want to admit it. "So what are people saying about me?" Ash asked.

Professor Oak looked through the article, looking for the section on Ash. Finding it, he read, "'Ash is such a heartthrob. I hope he's a good kisser.'"

"What!" exclaimed Ash as everyone else at the table started laughing. "Who the heck said _that_?" He grabbed the paper out of the professor's hands, and looked for the quote. Looking at the name under the quote, he read to himself, _Jade Mercer_. He then looked at the girl's picture, and felt another surge of anger. He recognized the shoulder-length blond hair, the young, broad face, and the long eyelashes. This was one of the three girls who had showed up at his latest victory party, and who had asked for a kiss as well as an autograph. "What? Can't they find some other quote about me? Something about how I'm gonna do in the tournament? Why'd they put that piece of—"

Ash stopped again. His eyes fell on a bar graph on the opposite page, showing the results of a poll. According to the poll, 43 percent of Pokemon League fans thought Paul would win the league. Ash himself was ranked last in the poll; less than one percent were betting on the trainer from Pallet Town. Seeing this, Ash really lost his temper. "You see, guys?" he yelled. "This is why we all need more training! Everyone thinks Paul's the one to beat, while I'm nothing! It's all down to me to prove them wrong! I'm out of here!" Ash stomped away from the table, leaving a shocked table staring after him.

"I guess we shouldn't have laughed at him," said Dawn after a minute.

_Maybe I shouldn't have yelled at everyone just now_, Ash thought as he made his way to his training grounds. _Still, I'll make it up to them later. I have work to do right now..._

* * *

"Here you go, kid! One commemorative Infernape pin."

"Oh, boy!"

"Thanks! Come again!" The small boy ran excitedly away from the booth, leaving the catlike vendor waving after him.

"Who knew that the twerp's Infernape would be such a best-seller?" asked James, who was sitting near the back. He looked at a stack of his own unsold pins. "I thought the tall twerp's Torterra would make us a lot more dough."

"Looks like you owe me half your share of the profits," gloated Jessie.

"Not yet! Everything so far goes to paying back our debt to the boss!"

"Then maybe I should take... your bottle cap collection?"

"Hey, guys!" called Meowth from the front of the booth. "Look! I've finally seen the twerp!"

The two humans rushed to the front of the booth. Sure enough, Ash was walking past them, an anxious look on his face, hardly looking where he was going. "So now that we know where the twerp is now," said Jessie, "what do we do? We can't exactly leave the booth."

"You guys can handle it," said Meowth. "I'll tail the twerp, and find out where he does his training. Things should be slowing down right about now, so two people can deep selling our cool stuff."

"Sounds good!" said Jessie. "I'll take over the register." Holding up more Infernape pins, she called out, "Come get your Infernape pins! They'll make perfect presents for your Pokemon-loving pals!"

"Hey!" exclaimed James. "No fair!" Running up to the front himself, he elbowed Jessie out of the way, calling out, "Torterra pins for sale! Remember, this Torterra just beat the legendary Regice!"

"Get out of the way, James!" said Jessie, pushing back. "I'm up front here!"

"Why? You already sold enough pins!"

"That's supply and demand for you! We sell more of what's already selling!"

* * *

Finally, Ash reached his training grounds. Taking a deep breath, he unclipped all five of his Pokeballs from his belt. "Okay, everyone, time to come on out," he said, throwing them into the air. Besides Pikachu, the remainder of Ash's team assembled in front of him: Heracross came out with an excited shout, Charizard roared as it emerged, Sceptile landed gracefully on all fours, Snorlax shook the ground slightly as it appeared, and Staraptor materialized above everyone else. "Hey, guys," said Ash, his voice a little flat from nerves. "You know why you're all here. This is it. In a few weeks, we're gonna be fighting Paul."

His Pokemon started fidgeting. Sceptile started pacing around, while Heracross looked anxiously it its teammates and Staraptor started beating its wings feverishly.

"I'll need some really hard work from you guys," Ash continued. "Paul just beat a team with a bunch of legendary Pokemon. You guys need to be really tough to win. But I think we can do it."

His Pokemon were anything but convinced. Sparks started flying involuntary from Pikachu's cheeks, while Charizard started blowing smoke from its nostrils. From Ash's body language during his speech, he didn't even believe that a win was possible, so who was he trying to fool by saying it?

"Okay," said Ash, "let's get started. You guys should warm up with sparring matches first... let's have Pikachu and Heracross, Charizard and Snorlax, and Sceptile and Staraptor."

Ash was mildly impressed by his team's performance in the sparring matches. While Ash and some of his other Pokemon had been preparing for and battling Wattson and Lazarus, the Pokemon that Ash considered his strongest had clearly kept in good physical shape.

After half an hour, his spirits slightly lifted, Ash called a break from training. Uncharacteristically, however, he kept looking at his watch every couple of minutes while his Pokemon caught their breaths; he did not want to waste any time when he could be training. "Okay, guys, back to work," he said finally. "Now, let's practice some of your moves." He directed each of his Pokemon on which moves to practice on their own, coming to Sceptile last. "Okay, Sceptile," he said. "I'll work with you before the others, since you have some new moves that'll be really important. Let's see how you're doing with them."

Watching Sceptile practice its new moves, Ash had to use every ounce of self-control he had not to yell, scream, and scold. The Grass-type was visibly nervous, disheartened by the lack of confidence that was evident in its trainer's demeanor. Eventually, the umpteenth poorly executed attack bruised Sceptile's hand on a slab of rock. "Sceptile, you need to learn this move!" Ash said as calmly as he could. "Paul's not gonna just change his strategy so your other attacks will be enough!" Sceptile flexed its arm, hand, and fingers, making sure nothing was broken. "Okay, let's try that again," said Ash.

Finally, after an hour, Ash could no longer justify spending any more one-on-one training time with Sceptile. Although it was strong, it was clearly not going to master two new moves in that one day. Meanwhile, Ash's other Pokemon still needed the same attention. Whatever happened, Ash was determined not to repeat his mistakes from his last match with Paul.

Ash decided to train Charizard next, hoping that the most powerful Pokemon on his team could boost his mood. However, Charizard seemed to be having problems with nerves as well. Ash had told it to practice its spinning Steel Wing, the defensive maneuver that it had mastered months before. However perfectly Charizard had done it before, now the spinning was much too slow. "Straighten your tail out, Charizard!" Ash said, desperation in his voice. "That's what's slowing you down!" The Fire-type tried. Its technique was a little better than before, but it was still slower than ususal. "What's wrong, Charizard?" asked Ash. "You used to do this really good!"

It took half a hour of practice to get Charizard's spinning Steel Wing back to a passable level. "Alright, Charizard," said Ash, "I need to check on the others. Keep practicing by yourself." Ash went over to Heracross next. "Okay, Heracross, let's see how you're doing!" he said. Heracross positioned itself back by a mechanical martial arts dummy that Ash had rented in town. Heracross threw a Focus Punch at it, and the machine sprang to life, throwing punches back. For the first time that day, Ash was really happy as he watched his Pokemon block and duck the dummy's shots, and counter with punches of its own. Heracross hit the dummy with a Take Down, sending it a few feet back. Without missing a beat, it charged forward at full speed, delivering a Megahorn to the dummy as well. Then, the Bug-type bent its knees rapidly, ducking a punch and raising its own fist for a Focus Punch. However, as Heracross straightened its legs out, and landed the powerful attack, it collapsed facedown on the ground, looking seriously hurt.

"Heracross!" Ash yelled in alarm. "Are you okay?" Heracross tried to get up, but something was wrong. Looking down, Ash noticed that his Pokemon's right leg seemed limp. Moving to support his Pokemon's right side, Ash said, "It's okay. I'm gonna get you to the Pokemon Center. Hey, guys!" he called to his other Pokemon. "We're taking some time off. Heracross is hurt." Putting everyone except Pikachu back in their Pokeballs, Ash headed back into town.

* * *

"Jessie, when is it my turn at the front?" whined James.

"When the Infernape pins run out!" said Jessie.

"But by then, all our customers will be gone!" said James. All morning, a thinning stream of customers had stopped at their booth, a great number of them buying of Jessie's Infernape pins. James' Torterra pins, which he had desperately hoped to sell in order to keep his profits and his bottle cap collection, were not selling nearly as well; several other commemorative pins were selling better.

Meowth suddenly darted into the booth. "Hey, guys, here's the deal," he said.

"You got some of the twerp's Pokemon?" asked Jessie.

"No," Meowth replied, "But we're one step closer. I know where the twerp goes for his training."

"Super!" said Jessie. "So on the next slow day, we can go there and steal Pikachu!"

"And that's not all!" said Meowth. "All the twerp's Pokemon don't look as strong as usual. Not only that, the twerp's Heracross looks like it took a beating today."

"So we can catch all those Pokemon when they're so vulnerable!" said James, finally cheering up. "We'll get them this time!"

"The boss will reward us big-time!" exclaimed Jessie.

"If he does, can I keep my bottle cap collection?" asked James uncertainly.

* * *

Ash burst in the Pokemon Center, with Pikachu barely holding onto his shoulder. "Nurse Joy!" he almost shouted when he reached the counter.

Nurse Joy came rushing out of the back room. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's my Heracross!" said Ash. "Something happened while we were training! I think it got hurt really bad, but I don't know how!" He took Heracross' Pokeball from his belt and put in on the counter.

"What did you see happen?" asked Nurse Joy, picking up the Pokeball.

"Heracross was using Focus Punch, and it just fell over! It couldn't even walk after that because something's really wrong with its right leg!"

"Okay," said Nurse Joy. "Wait here. I'll see what's wrong." She disappeared into the back again.

_Please be okay, Heracross_, Ash thought over and over again, waiting for Nurse Joy to come back. He kept looking at the clock. Nurse Joy was gone for five minutes... ten minutes... fifteen minutes...

Finally, after about half an hour, Nurse Joy came out of the back, pushing Heracross on a stretcher.

"Heracross!" said Ash, running over. "How're you feeling?" Heracross gave a small smile. "So what's wrong?" Ash asked Nurse Joy.

"It's not very serious," Nurse Joy replied. "Heracross just has a pulled muscle."

"Wait... that's it?"

"That's it."

"But... I pulled muscles tons of times. So did my Pokemon. Why can't Heracross walk because of something little like that?"

"It's just because Heracross is an invertebrate."

"What's that?"

"It means that Heracross doesn't have bones," explained Nurse Joy. "Without bones to support it, walking on a pulled leg muscle becomes difficult or impossible."

"Oh," said Ash. "Well, Heracross, maybe you should rest for... how long?" he asked Nurse Joy.

"Since your Heracross is pretty healthy, it should probably be walking again tonight. Still, you should take it easy with training for about three or four days."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," said Ash. "Take care, Heracross! Get better soon!"

After walking out of the Pokemon Center, Ash made his way down the street. Although his concern had kept in check before, Ash couldn't help feeling angry at Heracross now. _After all that, it was only a pulled muscle_, he thought resentfully. _Getting scared like that... and we all missed a couple hours of training... and Heracross probably won't be able to train for a few days... and if Heracross was more careful, it wouldn't be out of action..._

Pikachu jumped down from its trainer's shoulder, and Ash stopped. "Hey, Pikachu, what's up?" Ash asked. Pikachu rubbed its stomach. "You're hungry? But... we've lost some training time today already." Pikachu pointed stubbornly at a nearby restaurant. "Okay, buddy," said Ash without smiling. "But we'll need to eat quick."

Ash and Pikachu walked into the restaurant, and a whiff of smokey sauce filled their nostrils. "Wait a minute," said Ash. "This is a barbecue. You've got to like meat to eat here." Pikachu just jumped onto the condiment counter. "Wait, buddy, what are you doing?" called Ash. Pikachu grabbed some red barbecue sauce, and before Ash could yell "Stop," Pikachu had dumped half the bottle down its throat. The yellow Pokemon then let out a scream, and started running frantically in circles.

"Pikachu!" yelled Ash in panic. He picked up Pikachu, grabbed a glass of water nearby, and held up to his best friend's mouth. Pikachu gulped it down thankfully. "What's up, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "You came in here for that?" Pikachu reached for the red bottle again, but Ash held it back. "Pikachu, that's not ketchup! It's extra-spicy barbecue sauce!" he said, now starting to get annoyed again. Pikachu stopped struggling, and looked plaintively at its trainer. Customers were starting to stare at the two of the. "Between you and Heracross, I'm not gonna have any team to beat Paul in three weeks!" said Ash harshly. "Come on! We'll eat somewhere else, and then we need to get back to training!"

"Ash!" someone called from a table. "Ash!" Ash looked. It was Norman. He was sitting by himself, but there were two more places around the table, and Ash could guess the people to whom they belonged.

"Hi, Norman!" said Ash, walking over and sitting down.

"You alright, Pikachu?" asked Norman the Ash's Pokemon. "I saw you gulp that sauce." Pikachu gave a weak thumbs-up.

"So where are Max and May?" asked Ash.

"They're getting their food," Norman answered. "May just dared Max to get a full rack of ribs, and I think Max will actually take her up on it." He chuckled.

"Hey, Norman, I'm kind of in a rush," said Ash. "I need to find somewhere where Pikachu will like the food too. And plus, isn't May still mad at me?"

"It'll be fine," Norman assured. "Just stay a little while."

"Okay," said Ash tentatively. "So who are you battling next?"

"One of the Elite Four members from Fiore."

"Who?"

"His name's Graham, and he trains Grass-types. And you'll be battling Paul?"

"Yeah. That's why I need to train so much."

"I know what you mean. Paul came to my gym a few years ago—"

Just then, May and Max came over to the table, each carrying what looked like a side of beef. "Hey, Ash!" said Max. "When did you drop by?"

"I just got here," said Ash. He was about to ask Max how he was doing, but May spoke first.

"Dad, I thought you said we weren't gonna see _him_ today!"

"I'm as surprised as you are," said Norman sharply. "And seeing Ash should be a nice surprise for you."

"Give me a break!" May shot back. "Ash, I saw you yelling at Pikachu over the barbecue sauce! You're just as bad as you were after Roger visited!"

"Maybe I shouldn't have done that," said Ash, "but I'm having a rough day! I need to train for the biggest match of my life, Heracross just got injured, nobody's taking me seriously—"

"Ash, that's enough," said Norman. "May, act your age! Ash is staying here, and it'll be really nice if you don't throw a tantrum!"

"Well, if Ash is staying, I'm going!" yelled May, taking a few steps toward an empty table.

"Young lady," Norman shouted back, "come back here right now!" May turned around and walked back, a scowl still on her face. "We talked about this several times! Ash might have made some mistakes before, but that's no reason to stop talking to someone!" Norman paused, looked down at the table, and then continued in a much quieter voice, "Especially if he's your brother."

"Huh?" said Ash, confused. "Did you just say I'm her _brother_?"

"Yes," said Norman quietly, still not looking up. "If you want proof, here it is." He took out a piece of paper and handed it to Ash.

Taking the paper, Ash saw that it was a list of the Champions' League participants. He soon found his name:

_**Ash Ketchum.** Runner-up, Sinnoh League._

Then, Ash looked at the name under his own:

_**Norman Ketchum.** Gym Leader, Petalburg City._

Finally, it all clicked in Ash's mind. He said, "But... does that mean... _Dad_?"

* * *

**Author's Note: It's finally time to break the news I've been hinting at forever! While many people were looking forward to the identity of Ash's father, there was surprisingly little speculation about it in the reviews. But if you guessed Norman, well done! You successfully saw through my web of subtleties and red herrings.**

**Also, everyone who guessed that Roger was Ash's dad gets honorable mention (especially Japonica, who wrote that in a review a while ago). A very long way back, that was the plan. However, after thinking giving it some thought, Norman just seemed like the better choice.**

**Anyway, Norman's confession raises a plethora of questions. Stay tuned to see them answered!**


	25. Life of a Trainer

Chapter 25: Life of a Trainer

"Yes, Ash," said Norman sadly. "I'm your father."

"But..." Ash's mind almost exploded with questions. Finally, he asked, "Why didn't you ever tell me? You could've lots of times."

"Because your mother and I thought it would be best for you," answered Norman quietly.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. But I talked with your mother last night, and we both realized that we've... had other for keeping the truth from you."

"So why'd you leave in the first place?" demanded Ash. It was still extremely difficult to believe what Norman was telling him. Ash had always viewed Norman as the selfless father, who had tended to every need of his children, even sacrificing his own hopes and dreams to do so. He had thought of his own father as egocentric, too absorbed in his own quests and achievements to have any time for him. Never would he have guessed that the the two men were one and the same.

"First," said Norman, "I need to explain my career in training. All through my teens and early twenties, I worked to become a top trainer. I was never a natural at battling like you are."

"Really?"

"Yes. I had to work for over a decade to get where you are now. You are competing in your first Champions' League at sixteen. I competed in my first when I was twenty-three." Ash's mouth dropped open. Norman gave a small smile before continuing. "I never had a real method or style for my training at that time. I'd heard about two philosophies about training— that a trainer should bond with his Pokemon and teach through empathy, and that a trainer should be a taskmaster who teaches through a military-like discipline. I'd just thought that since each style had its pluses and minuses, I shouldn't make any effort to choose between them. However, in my first ever Champions' League match, that all changed."

"How?"

Norman sighed. "Because my opponent was unlike any trainer I'd ever faced. He was haughty, and cold toward both his opponents and his Pokemon. I struggled all through the battle, and lost painfully in the end. But what he said to me afterward was worse than him beating me."

"What did he say?"

"He gloated that I had no coherent battle style. He said I needed to use more leadership with my Pokemon, or I'd never get anywhere as a trainer."

"So how do me and Mom fit into this?"

"Well, I spent that night on the town, trying to forget all about that loss. And that's when I met your mother, Ash."

* * *

_Norman walked out of the bar, oblivious to both the bright neon lights that lit Celadon City by night and the cool November air, whooshing past his face and into his unzipped jacket. He was not even looking up as he walked down the sidewalk, because his night was going as badly as his day had. This was the fourth bar Norman had visited in one night, hoping to find a lady friend to dull his pain. However, with his loss on everybody else's mind as well as his, none of the usual girls would have anything to do with him. In this situation, he might as well call it a night. Hanging his head in defeat, he slowly made his way back to his hotel._

_Norman had walked two blocks when a gorgeous pair of legs caught his eye. After seeing the blue high heels on her feet, he looked up, turning around as he did so. His eyes rested on the young woman's sleek brown hair, tied into a ponytail. Norman smiled to himself. It couldn't hurt to try just one more time. Taking an elaborate bracelet from his pocket, he got down on one knee, and made his signature pickup move. "Hey, miss, you dropped something!" he called to the girl._

"_Huh?" The girl turned around, treating Norman to the sight of her face, with brown eyes that shone at least as brightly as the neon lights._

"_You dropped this bracelet," said Norman, getting back up and walking over to her._

"_But..." She looked at it, bewildered. "That's not mine."_

"_Really? Well, it should be. It would look amazing with those earrings."_

_The girl smiled. "You think so?"_

"_Yeah, of course. But if you want, you can try it on and make sure."_

"_Okay. If you say so." She held out her arm, and Norman took his time in undoing the bracelet's clasp. He slowly slipped it onto her wrist, clasped it again, and took a second to look at her._

"_See?" said Norman. "I told you it would look great on you."_

"_Wow. You really know how to pick accessories for a girl."_

"_Well, that's what you get with Norman," said Norman with a wink and an even wider smile._

_The young woman's expression changed from delight to puzzlement. "Norman?" She held out her hand for Norman to shake. "Hi, I'm Delia."_

"_Nice to meet you," said Norman, shaking Delia's hand. He hesitated. "So you've never heard of me?"_

"_No," said Delia. "Why?"_

"_Um, nothing," answered Norman nervously. "I'm, uh... some people have heard of me."_

"_How?"_

"_Oh, umm... I was competing in the Champions' League." Norman waited for the sword to drop. Did he blow it by mentioning the Champions' League?_

"_Oh," said Delia. "So you're one of those guys the Pokemon League fan girls drool over?" She giggled slightly._

"_Not anymore," said Norman, relieved that Delia wasn't trying to leave. "I... uh... lost today."_

"_Really?" asked Delia, now with an air of pleased surprise. "Well, it's better for me, I guess. I know a good guy when I meet one, whether he wins or loses anywhere else. So how long are you staying here?"_

"_I was going to leave tomorrow morning, but that was before I met the prettiest girl in the city. Now, I think I can stay a little longer. So how about dinner at Balducci's at 5:30 tomorrow?"_

"_Sure," said Delia, smiling widely again. "It's a date."_

* * *

"So in about six years, we were married," said Norman. "I knew even then that I shouldn't have kept your mother waiting like that, but I'd formed a rivalry with the trainer who'd beaten me in that first battle. We crossed swords several times during that period: twice more in Champions' League matches, once in the finals of the Johto League, and in about two or three smaller tournaments every year. Every time, I was determined to win, but every time, my nemesis beat me. Every time I lost, I would doubt myself, but my relationship with your mother was what sustained me. After every defeat, she would always remind me that there was more to life than Pokemon battles."

"So why'd you leave?" Ash was getting impatient. If his parents' relationship had been that stable, why would his father suddenly walk out?

"Well, Ash... you were born the year after I married your mother. I was training hard at the time, hoping to win the upcoming Sinnoh League. It was much harder on her than I realized at the time, since I wasn't helping her out around the house anywhere near as much as I should have been. And when we did spend time together, it was usually in front of the TV." Norman paused, and then continued. "I should have spent my time caring for you and your mother, but I was training almost nonstop instead. My rival was on my mind when my family should have been. Unknown to anyone else, I was slipping toward my rival's way of training with every loss to him. The change had happened gradually, and by that time, I thought the only way to beat him was to learn from him. I knew that I would compete against him in the Champions' League again, and the Sinnoh League was just a warmup for that. So I trained all day, leaving you and your mother home alone all day, only coming home at night."

"Wait a sec," said Ash. "Who was your big rival that so wanted to beat so bad?"

Norman waited another second before answering. "It was Roger," he said.

"What? Really?"

"Yes."

Ash's anger that had been building up against Norman suddenly vanished. The same trainer that had had such a destructive influence over his own training habits had had the same influence on his father so many years ago. Ash remembered the feeling of inevitability that Roger had seemed to project about his own training style, and it seemed completely understandable that his father had gotten the same sense. "So what happened with the Sinnoh League?" he asked, wanting to know more.

"I won," said Norman. "But I had made a desperate promise to your mother to get the training time I wanted. I promised to spend more time with her after the Sinnoh League. But the way I saw it, I couldn't reasonably keep that promise. The Champions' League was on my mind, and after the Sinnoh League, I only trained harder than before."

"I'll bet Mom was pissed off," said Ash, "but what about your Pokemon? How'd they take it?"

"They didn't really take it too badly. Remember, this whole transformation of my training style took about seven years. Also, I'd always been a little strict with my training, so it was really nothing new for them.

"But your mother's reaction was a different story. She nagged me, begged me, pleaded with me to train a little less every day, to do my duty as a husband and a father. For all the good it did, she might have been talking to the front door. I only intensified my training, oblivious to anything else. But one day, a couple weeks before the Champions' League was due to start..."

* * *

_At the Ketchum house in Pallet Town, the sun was almost below the horizon. Delia Ketchum was pacing back and forth on the front path, impatient for her husband's return. Her infant son, Ash, was in a stroller nearby._

_Norman walked up the road leading to his house. He was dirty, winded, and staggering slightly, having trained hard all day. He turned onto the front path._

"_Norman," shouted Delia immediately, "where have you been?"_

"_Sorry, hon," said Norman. "I was training."_

"_Training? It's the same all the time. You're always training."_

"_Delia, we've been over this. It's really important that I do well in the Champions' League."_

"_Don't give me that garbage!" yelled Delia, pointing a finger at her husband. "Tomorrow, you will not leave right after eating breakfast. You will not leave the house without me. You won't train at all. We need to have some time together, Norman!"_

"_Trust me," said Norman, "I would spend the day with you tomorrow if I could afford it. But now's not the time to take a break from training."_

"_Well, what _is_ the time for a break? This has been happening more and more lately. You'd compete in a tournament, we'd have maybe a day or two together if we're lucky, and then we catch the next bus back to Pallet Town and you're training again like it's your whole life!"_

"_Please, Delia, I need this time for training. I'll cut back after the Champions' League, I promise."_

"_That's what you said after the last tournament! And look at you! You're just spending more and more time away! I barely even see you now! Why should I think you'll change just because this year's Champions' League is over?"_

"_Delia, I love you. You know that. You know I'd do anything—"_

"_Save your breath!" Delia interrupted, her voice shaking. "If you'd do _anything_ for me, cut back on your training time! And one more thing!" Delia walked over to Ash's stroller, pushing it right in front of Norman. "We have a son!" she continued. "He barely has a father in his life! How do you think Ash will feel growing up when his daddy has no time for him, because he's always training?"_

"_By the time Ash is old enough to remember, I'll be training a lot less. I'll be spending more time with him, as well as with you."_

_Delia made a noise of disbelief. "_If _you beat this stupid rival of yours! I've noticed that the training always gets harder after you battle with him! The justification is always, 'Oh, I need to train some more so I can beat Roger.' But it never works! You train at least twice as much as you did when we first met, but Roger _still _beats you whenever you face each other! Plus, I'm always the one who pulls you out of your funk when you lose!"_

"_Don't you see, Delia? This is my chance! If I beat Roger this time, you won't _have_ to always cheer me up. I'll have much more peace of mind if I can win just _once_! And emotionally, I'll have more to give you and Ash."_

"_You don't know that you'll beat Roger. And you don't know that you'll just be okay afterward. What if you're wrong about just one of those things? What are you gonna do, train even harder? Get up before dawn and come home at midnight?"_

"_I'll have to risk it!" exclaimed Norman desperately._

"_Were you listening?" screamed Delia. "We can't live like that! You have a wife! We have a son!"_

"_And I also have a tournament. And a rival. I need to do well in the Champions' League, if not win it, and for me, I need to beat Roger!"_

"_Is that so?" By now, tears were streaming down Delia's face. "If that's the way you want it, you can just get out! I'm sick of hearing you say you just need more time to train! You have more than enough! If you need more and more and more training time when you already don't have time for your family, then maybe what you need is to live by yourself!"_

"_Delia—"_

"_Don't 'Delia' me! Get out of my life! Get somewhere else to live! You're not the man I thought you were! Tomorrow morning your stuff will be on the lawn, ready for you to pick it up." Norman walked away, now crying as well. Delia stared after him pitilessly. She looked down at her right wrist, which was wearing the bracelet that Norman had given her when they had first met. She ripped it savagely off her wrist, threw it hard onto the ground, and stamped on it repeatedly, wanting nothing more than to crush it into dust. When she could no longer see the remains of the bracelet, she walked back inside the house, taking Ash with her._

* * *

"So that was it?" Ash asked after hearing about his parents' separation. "You never tried talking Mom about it, and she could never let you say 'Sorry?'"

"No," said Norman, sighing again. "I'd been so negligent to your mother and to you that her mind was made. I knew that begging her to let me come back would be a waste of time, so I concentrated on preparing for the Champions' League. So I kept up my hard training, and when the tournament started, I reached the semifinals, the farthest I'd ever gotten, before I had to face Roger."

"And all the training paid off, right? Did you beat him?"

Norman smiled sadly. "I didn't. That was my worst defeat ever. I could only knock out three of Roger's Pokemon."

"You're kidding!" exclaimed Ash.

"Tell me about it. I was surprised too. And that was when I realized that I'd been training too hard. Since I'd always kept my Pokemon on their toes and gave them hardly any relaxation time up to the League itself, they had no energy to win the real battle. And by that time, I'd lost your mother, contact with you, my confidence as a trainer, the thread of my training, and almost the respect of my Pokemon. I would have to rebuild my life from the ground up."

"So you went to Hoenn after that battle with Roger?"

"Yes. Your mother divorced me in absentia while the Champions' League was still going on. It produced a lot of gossip throughout Kanto, so I decided to set up my base of operations in Hoenn. Soon after I got there, I was in Petalburg City. I saw a flier advertising that the local Gym Leader's position was vacant. I thought I'd give it a shot, since I'd always loved the versatility of Normal-types. As you can probably guess, I got the job."

"So was that when you met _our_ mom?" asked Max, speaking for the first time since Norman had started telling his story.

"You got it," answered Norman, smiling a little more widely than before. "When I met her, I was determined not to make the same mistakes I'd made before. I saw it as a golden opportunity to turn my life around. I was there for you and May when I should have been there for Ash, making the sacrifices necessary to raise a good, loving family. But still," he continued, turning back to Ash, "all the time, I could only hear from _your_ mother— I'd started calling her to hear about you soon after remarrying— how my first son was doing, growing up without a dad. We'd made a pact, both thinking wrongly that it was for the best that you would not know my identity. At that time, you were two years old, and already into watching Pokemon battles on TV. And as I'd heard from your mother, the trainer who'd really captured your imagination was—"

"Roger," Ash finished.

"It seemed like a cruel twist of fate," continued Norman. "My own son, hero-worshipping my rival. Still, if training Pokemon was your dream, and Roger was the one inspiring you, I didn't want to hold you back from that."

"So by the way, did you ever beat Roger?" asked Ash.

"No," said Norman. "That last loss to him was pretty much the end of our rivalry. I was exceedingly cautious of hard training from then on, not wanting it to get in the way of my family life like it had before. As a result, my performance in the Champions' League became less impressive from one year to the next. I never made it as far as the semifinals again. Roger, as you know, kept pursuing his goal relentlessly, eventually becoming the national champion."

Ash thought it over. He then asked his original question again: "So why didn't you tell me all this when I first came to Petalburg City?"

"Again, Ash, I was trying to protect you from my own checkered past. That's why I never said anything, and that's also why I told May and Max to keep it quiet—"

"So you guys knew too?" asked Ash incredulously, looking around at his half-brother and half-sister.

May nodded silently, while Max said, "Yeah. Sorry, but my dad— I mean, _our_ dad made us swear not tell you."

"So how long did you know?" Ash asked the pair of them.

"Actually— it was before I even saw you," Max answered.

* * *

"_Three... times... eight... equals... twenty-four," said Max, finishing up his math problem. "Man, I'm bored," he said to himself, looking down at his half-finished homework. Then, he glanced up at the clock on his wall. _Oh man_, he thought to himself. _Today's Silver Conference match must be almost over!_ Max, an enthusiastic fan of Pokemon battling, was taping all the battles in this important tournament, but he always liked to watch the live broadcasts if he could. The trouble was, he wasn't supposed to be watching TV before finishing his homework. But with his mom in the kitchen and his dad battling the latest challenger to the Petalburg City Gym, he could probably get away with it. He peeked out his bedroom door to make sure the coast was clear, sat down on his bed, grabbed the remote, and turned the TV on._

_Immediately, a fireball appeared on the screen, the result of two Flamethrower attacks colliding directly. After the smoke had cleared, the camera cut to one side of the field, where a majestic Charizard stood ready to do battle. It cut again to a Blaziken on the opposite side of the field. "Only one Pokemon remains for each of the two competitors!" said the announcer. "It's anyone's guess who will pull this one from the fire! Anticipation hangs like a fog over the whole stadium!" The camera then showed the two trainers, determination etched onto both faces. One was tall young man with a purple t-shirt and short black hair, while the other was a boy of about twelve or thirteen, wearing a blue and white jacket over a black t-shirt, and a red and white baseball hat over his messy black hair._

"_Cool!" exclaimed Max. "I'm really glad I caught this! This battle's gonna be _great_!" He leaned closer to the screen._

"_Charizard," ordered the younger trainer, "Flamethrower one more time!"_

"_Blaziken, dodge!" called the older trainer. Charizard sent a powerful jet of fire at its opponent for the second time, but Blaziken avoid the attack in spectacular fashion: bending its knees, it jumped high in the air, apparently higher than the stadium's nosebleed section._

_The referee gave his commentary. "With incredible jumping power, Blaziken successfully dodged Charizard's Flamethrower!"_

_In awe, Max watched as the trainers continued to call out orders and the two powerful Fire-types each tried to land the first hit._

"_Okay, Charizard, Dragon Rage!" Charizard sent another attack sailing toward its opponent, who was still in the air._

"_Dodge and use Quick Attack, now!" Blaziken maneuvered its falling body to the side, ready to land right on top of Charizard, who was still on the ground._

"_Charizard, fly up!" Charizard took to the sky, and Blaziken barely managed a soft landing._

"_Alright, Blaziken, Flamethrower!"_

"_Charizard, dodge it!" Gritting its teeth, Charizard narrowly avoided the blast of fire speeding toward itself. "That's it, now Flamethrower, go!"_

"_We'll use Flamethrower too!" Charizard aimed its attack at the ground while Blaziken's attack shot skyward; the two Flamethrowers collided, producing another fireball._

_After this, the two Pokemon started pummeling each other with one attack after the other, neither even trying to dodge. A Blaze Kick from Blaziken, a Mega Punch from Charizard, Quick Attack, Dragon Rage, Flamethrower, Take Down... Both Pokemon seemed evenly matched._

"_Wow," said Max, "This battle's awesome!"_

"_Max!" said a loud voice from the door. "Are you finished with your homework?"_

"_Y-yeah," stammered Max as his father walked into the room._

"_Then what's this?" pressed Norman, holding up the half-done math assignment._

"_I-it's just... I was just checking up—"_

"_Max," said Norman sternly, "_no TV_ until you're done with your homework. Then you can watch the Silver Conference—" Norman stopped speaking, and his mouth dropped open. He recognized the young boy wearing the cap and the jacket, even though he'd seen only a few photos of him. It _couldn't_ be... "Max," said Norman in a much quieter voice, "do you know who that trainer is? The younger guy?"_

_Max, puzzled at his father's sudden change of mood, said, "Not really, but he's a pretty awesome trainer!"_

* * *

"So I told both Max and May about you," said Norman. "I told them how your mother and I split up and how I came here to start another family. When I heard that you'd be traveling in Hoenn, I told May and Max about our agreement of secrecy, and I told them to uphold it if they ever met you, as May would be starting her journey soon and there was a good chance you'd come by the gym sooner or later."

"So... wait a minute... was that the real reason your let me stay at your place? And why you let Max come with us?" inquired Ash.

"Well, I would have let you stay with us in any case. I would have been hospitable to anyone who'd helped May out as much as you had. But, yeah, I let Max travel with you because... well... he wanted to get to know his big brother."

"But when you first came into the gym," said Max, "I almost let it slip. I was just so excited that I really got to meet you, I almost told you all about how excited I was."

"So that's the real reason you were so excited," said Ash.

"Yeah," said Max. "I remembered what Dad told me just in time, and I just said I recognized you from the Silver Conference. But I still took the chance to annoy you like a real little brother would," he added with a mischievous smile.

"So there you have it, Ash," said Norman, sighing again. He looked Ash in the eyes, but his feelings of shame still showed on his face. "I'm sorry that you had to grow up with no father because I was too stubborn about training, and I'm really sorry I kept from you for this long. I wish I could say it was for your own good, but it wasn't. I hope you can forgive me for everything, and give me another chance to be the father I should be."

"Dad," said Ash, "all this time, I thought you were just traveling around, and you never wanted to have any time for me. I'm just really happy that my dad's someone who still cares about me. I wish you'd told me everything before, but I'm still happy to hear it now." He shook hands with his long-lost father, and then pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thanks, Ash," said Norman, who was now crying. "I'm glad you can accept my apology. It's really more than I deserve. If you want, we can have a couple days of father-son time before the quarterfinals start, and get together on Christmas and New Year's too. I know that we both have to train for our matches, but we can work something out."

"That would be great!" said Ash. "Some time to catch up with my dad... I can't wait!"

"Great!" said Norman. "I'd better go pay for our food now. I'll be right back." He left, leaving Ash with May and Max, his friends who were now revealed to be his half-sister and half-brother. He looked at them both. Max looked extremely happy, and May looked very pained with a touch of guilt.

Speaking at last, May said quietly, "I never knew most of that stuff about Dad."

"Huh?" said Ash. "I thought you knew everything before."

"Well, not all of it," said May. "All he told us before was that you were his kid by a wife we he had before. He just told us that it didn't work out, but he didn't tell us why. I guess that Dad just loved us and cared for us so much that I could never see him as... someone who didn't have time for his family, or who would push his Pokemon so far past their limits. I guess he needed another chance to get those parts right. Which tells me... Ash, I'm really sorry about the way I've been acting. Dad's right, it's really immature. If Dad needed a second chance for some really big stuff... well, I guess you do too."

"It's okay, May," said Ash. "I'm just happy to have you back on my side. And as my sister too!" Ash held his arms out wide, and May and Max both hugged him at once. From the front of the nearby cash register, Norman watched his three children, glad to see them back together on the best of terms at last.

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow, I can't believe I've been working on this fic for a whole year! That's right, a year! By the clock on my computer (USA, Eastern Standard Time), I'm posting this on April 24, 2011: one year to day after posting Chapter 1.**

**So Ash learns the whole truth about his father. It unexpectedly leads May to make up with him. However, amid the happy reunions, Ash's battle with Paul is still coming up, and Ash has other obstacles facing him as well. Can Ash hold everything together?**

**By the way, I'm also posting this in the early morning on Easter. So a Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it!**

**P.S. Apparently, this is the longest chapter so far as well. I wasn't planning on it being so long, especially with no battles except in one of the flashbacks!  
**


	26. The Christmas Bash

Chapter 26: The Christmas Bash

Ash was lost in thought as he walked back toward the training grounds. He had finally reunited with his ever-absent father, something which he had come to believe would never happen. Furthermore, he had finally made up with May, who as a bonus turned out to be his half-sister.

However, his elation was tainted by what his father had told him. Never before had Ash known that obsessive training could do so much damage. With his own Pokemon, as well as with Misty, Brock, Gary, and especially May, Ash had already figured out that training too hard would put strain on his friendships. However, Norman had gone an extra step, tearing his family apart in an attempt to beat his rival. Ash still wanted to beat his own rival as much as ever... but without the kind of preparation Paul was giving his Pokemon, how could he pull off a win?

Suddenly, Ash noticed several people walking past him, all carrying large bags. He looked at the building where they all seemed to be coming from. _Goldenrod City Department Store_, said a sign over the large revolving doors. Ash remembered his Christmas shopping, which he had not yet started. "Hey, Pikachu," he said, "let's take the rest of the day off to get presents for everyone. Training can wait."

* * *

Finally, just after sunset, Ash staggered through the hotel door, his arms laden with bags. "Whew," he said. "Let's take this stuff up to my room, and then we'll get some dinner."

"Hi, Ash," said an anxious voice.

Ash looked around. His mother was standing off to the side looking extremely nervous, having clearly been pacing around before. "Hi, mom," said Ash, putting his bags down.

"Ash... I wanted to tell you before..."

"Don't worry, Mom, I know," said Ash. "Norman's my dad."

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before," Delia continued. "I... was just angry at him. I didn't stop to think... what it would be like for you... to grow up without your dad in your life. I told myself that I was protecting you."

"It's okay, Mom. I wish I knew about this before, but it's fine."

"Good," said Delia with a weak smile. She took a deep breath. "So how was training today?"

"I didn't really do a lot of training today," answered Ash. "First, I had to take Heracross to the Pokemon Center."

"Is it okay?"

"Yeah. It'll have enough training time before the match. Then, I ran into Nor― I mean, Dad, Max, and May."

"Is May still angry?"

"No. We made up."

"I'm glad. I always knew that May would come around. You two were always close, even before you knew that you were brother and sister."

"And then, I did some Christmas shopping," said Ash, gesturing toward the pile of packages on the floor."

"Six days ahead of time? Usually, you wait until Christmas Eve to shop for presents."

"Mooooom!"

* * *

Outside of town, three figures were skulking in the shadows, waiting. "How much longer do you want us to wait?" whined James. "Meowth, are you _sure_ this is where the twerp trains?"

"Yeah, I'd bet my charm on it," insisted Meowth.

"Well, if this _is _where all the twerp's been training, he's certainly taking his time getting back here," said Jessie.

"And the twerp _does_ have a big battle coming up, so why would he want to stay away?" asked James.

"Beats me," said Meowth, folding its arms. "I just know that I saw the twerp training his best Pokemon here. So we should keep waiting until he comes back."

"Meowth," demanded James, "what if the twerp doesn't come back until after Christmas?"

"That's right," added Jessie. "Did you forget about the job we have to do in the meantime?"

"Okay, guys, take it easy," said Meowth. "I never thought I'd see you two agreeing on something."

"So what's your plan now?" pressed James.

"You'd better think fast, or else!" threatened Jessie.

"Uhhh..." Meowth sweated, backing away from the two of them. "We've got another job..." Meowth muttered feverishly as he continued to back away.

Jessie and James advanced menacingly.

"And we've got to find the twerp..." Meowth continued. "So we need the twerp and our job together... Hey, that's it!"

"What's it?" asked Jessie skeptically.

"The twerp will be at the big Christmas bash, won't he?" asked Meowth.

"As will seven other top trainers that we could never hope to beat," said James.

"That's not the point," said Meowth. "We'll know exactly where the twerp is! Then, when he leaves, we can quietly slip away and steal his Pokemon!"

"Meowth, you really have your moments," said Jessie.

"Yes!" agreed James. "We'll give the twerp a surprise when he least expects it!"

* * *

The alarm clock in Ash's hotel room rang early in the morning. Ash sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and smiled widely. "Oh, boy, it's finally here!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Hey, Pikachu!" he called to his still-sleeping Pokemon, clapping it on the back. Pikachu rubbed its eyes much like its trainer as it woke up. "Merry Christmas, buddy!" said Ash.

After throwing on a shirt and a pair of pants, Ash ran over to his mother's room and knocked on the door. "Hey, Mom, Merry Christmas!" he called through the door.

Delia answered the door, wearing pink pajamas and night slippers, and rubbing her eyes. "Merry Christmas, Ash!" she said, giving her son a huge hug. "I never thought I'd see the day when you'd wake me up!"

"Aww, Mom, when's the last time I really slept in?"

"A week ago." Delia giggled at her son's grimace. "Come on in so we can open presents."

Ash followed his mother into the room, where two piles of presents stood near the back. Ash moved to the slightly larger pile, picked up the first present, and started ripping off the wrapping paper.

"Who's that one from again?" asked Delia, who was opening a card.

"Oh, uh..." Ash realized that he didn't know, and then eyed the card in his mother's hands. "Oops! I forgot to open the card first! My bad." He found the envelope. "Hey," he exclaimed, "it's from Gary!" Ash read the card silently, and then finished opening the gift. It was a black leather wallet with the Champions' League logo on the front, and the logos of the seven regional Pokemon Leagues on the back. "Wow," said Ash, examining it, "this is cool..."

"Ash, you really got this for me?" said Delia, holding up a top-notch nail care kit. "Thanks so much!" She gave her son another hug.

"You're welcome, Mom," said Ash.

It took about an hour and a half to unwrap all the presents. Ash had been sent a clock/radio from his grandfather and a set of tour guides for different cities across the country from his aunt, uncle, and cousins. His mom had given him several gifts, including a pocket calendar, a new pair of sneakers, and, best of all, a new laptop computer.

Also, since Misty, Dawn, Brock and Professor Oak were celebrating with their families, Ash and his mother opened their presents as well. Misty had given Ash a one-year subscription to _EBattles_, a popular weekly online magazine featuring the most spectacular battles of the week, detailed predictions about the best-publicized upcoming battles, and battling tips for trainers. Brock's present was a large box of candies that he had made himself, while Dawn had gotten him the wackiest pair of fake glasses he'd ever seen (they looked almost as big as his face and had extremely lurid colors). Professor Oak had not gotten individual gifts for Delia and Ash, but had gotten the two of them a large gas grill.

"Merry Christmas, Mom," said Ash again after they were finished. "I'm so glad you're here with me."

"Merry Christmas, Ash!" and Delia. "I'm happy we could have such a special celebration. We're here in Goldenrod City, and you're officially one of the best Pokemon trainers in the country!"

Ash's smile faltered a little. He wasn't sure that he deserved such a distinction. His battle with Wattson had gone extremely well, but he'd struggled hard in his other two battles. Furthermore, his looming battle with his nemesis, Paul, reminded him that there were still lots of trainers above his head. Ash had not trained since hearing that Norman was his father and making up with May, giving Heracross time to recover from its injury and attempting to sideline his nerves. It was a gamble, since his team would most likely be rusty after taking such a long break, but his Pokemon's fear at their collective task was hard to forget. Ash needed them to banish their fear if he wanted to beat his rival at last.

"You're thinking about your next match, aren't you?" asked Delia, correctly interpreting the less-than-pleased look on Ash's face.

"Yeah," said Ash. "I just _really_ want to win it. I know there are some things it's not worth doing to win, but Paul's been doing all of them for years. I want to show everyone that you don't need to be a jerk to be a winner."

"But there's nothing you can do for that _now_, right?" reasoned Delia. "It's Christmas, Ash. You don't have to think about that now, okay?"

"I guess you're right," Ash conceded. He sat and talked with his mother a little while longer before leaving for his next destination of the day.

* * *

"Hey, everyone, Merry Christmas!" called Ash, knocking on the door of another room.

The door opened. "Merry Christmas, Ash!" yelled May and Max together, almost knocking him down as they hugged him.

"Ash!" said Norman, also giving Ash a hug. "Merry Christmas! Good to see you, son."

"Dad, May, Max! Finally, I get to have Christmas with you guys!"

"Ash, is that you?" said a woman's voice. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Caroline!" said Ash.

"Want a cookie?" asked Caroline, holding up a Christmas-tree-shaped plate of cookies.

"Yeah, thanks!" said Ash, taking one.

"How about a present?" asked Norman, holding up one for Ash.

"Sounds good!" said Ash, his mouth still full of cookie.

Although a much shorter present-opening session than the one with his mother, Ash found it no less enjoyable. As the Christmas cookies quickly vanished, the five of them opened their gifts, exchanging hugs and thank-yous as they did so. With as much enthusiasm as before, Ash opened a stack of DVDs from May and Max and a brass badge from Caroline emblazoned with the words, "Pokemon Master."

That left only the package from his father. Ash reached for the card from Norman and opened it. When Ash turned the envelope upside down to take the card out, something fell into his hand. Examining it, Ash found that it was a flower-shaped gym badge, bearing eight petals, each of a different hue. It was a Rainbow Badge; Ash had won an identical one at the Celadon City Gym over five years earlier. Puzzled, Ash removed the card and read:

_Dear Ash,_

_I was wondering what to get you for a while. What can a father possibly give his son after such a long period of silence? Certainly nothing I can buy, either in a store or online. So I decided on giving you pieces of my past that you should have had your whole life._

_Love,_

_Dad_

"Whoa..." said Ash. "Um, Dad?"

"You're wondering why I'm giving you the badge?" answered Norman.

"Yeah, kind of."

"That was the first badge I ever won in a gym."

"You're kidding!" Ash was dumbstruck. The badge in his hand must have been one of his father's prized treasures for decades, and now it was Ash's as a keepsake. Finally, he managed to say faintly, "Thanks, Dad." Returning his eyes to the package in front of him, Ash opened it slowly.

The contents of the box were unbelievable. There was a winner's trophy for the Nishito League from over twenty years ago, accompanied by a framed photo of a young, ecstatic Norman holding it. There was a magazine which must have been from the height of Norman's training career, with pictures of Norman and Roger on the front cover.

However, it was the loose pictures that really captured Ash's interest. There must have been over a thousand: pictures of Ash's father as a teenager, pictures from his parents' wedding, baby pictures of Ash with both his parents beside him... There was no way Ash could go through all of them today.

"Merry Christmas, Ash," said Norman, who had been looking over his older son's shoulder.

"Thanks, Dad," said Ash. "This is the best Christmas present ever."

* * *

"Check it out, Mom!" said Ash excitedly as he arrived at the banquet hall with Delia and Pikachu in tow. "This place looks awesome!" Ash took in the lights, holly, and tinsel hanging on the walls. He looked to the door, where two enormous pine trees stood on either side, covered by bright lights, lengths of gold ribbon, and hundreds of ornaments.

Ash had gotten ready for this party with unusual speed. Not bothering to comb his hair, he had changed into his rental tuxedo quickly, and had practically dragged his mother out of her room as she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. Ash could be a couple minutes early for an important battle or just on time to catch a boat, and for most other events, he might be a few minutes late. However, for a party that promised good fun and better food, Ash was usually beyond punctual, and this party was no exception. Besides the Pokemon League officials, Ash and Delia were the first to arrive.

"Merry Christmas, Ash!" said Mr. Goodshow, shaking Ash's hand as he walked through the door.

"Thanks!" said Ash. "Merry Christmas to you too, Mr. Goodshow. You guys did a heck of a job decorating for this party."

"Thank you very much, young man," said Mr. Goodshow, smiling widely. "We like to reward the trainers like yourself who excel in the Champions' League."

After talking with Mr. Goodshow for a minute or so, Ash made his way through the Pokemon League dignitaries, all of whom shook his hand and wished him a Merry Christmas. Some also congratulated him on his performance so far. Finally, Ash reached Roger, standing near a small table which appeared to contain the seating arrangements.

"Ash, a Merry Christmas to you," said Roger, whose tuxedo was much less sleek than one would expect for a man of his stature. "Good job so far with your battles. Are you preparing for your next battle against Paul?"

"Y-Yeah," stammered Ash. "I'm working on it."

"Good. By the way, I heard about my old rival being your father. Small world, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh," said Ash, a flat quietness to his voice.

"Norman was a good trainer. Maybe he could have been one of the greats if he'd put his mind more to it."

Ash made a noncommittal noise and Delia, frowning slightly, said, "So where are we sitting?"

"That large table right next to the officials' table," answered Roger. "Since Ash and Norman are both invited, we thought you could all share a table instead of having separate ones."

Ash and his mother walked to their table without another word, their good mood a little dampened from Roger's insensitive comments about Norman. However, this did not last long. Ash took in the eight tables, neatly arranged in a huge semicircle, leaving most of the hall open, perfect for socializing and perhaps a little dancing.

Not too long afterward, Norman arrived, along with May, Max, and Caroline. Norman was also wearing a tuxedo, May and her mother were both wearing their best dresses (black for Caroline, red for May) with matching earrings. Max wore khaki pants that looked too neat for him to have ironed himself, with a canary-yellow shirt, a red-and-green-striped tie that he'd unwrapped only hours before, and a blue blazer.

"Someone got here in a hurry!" said Norman as the four of them walked over, joining Ash and Delia.

"Yeah," agreed Ash, "because I can't wait to pig out."

Everyone laughed.

"Delia, how are you?" asked Norman. Everyone looked at them.

"Fine," answered Delia. "How about you?"

"Good. This is Caroline," said Norman, motioning to his current wife.

"Hi," said Caroline, holding out her hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you."

"Same here," said Delia.

"So when are we eating?" asked May.

"Don't worry," said Caroline, turning to May. "The food will be here soon enough. We _are_ early, after all."

One by one, the rest of the quarterfinalists arrived with their families. The first was a man who looked in his mid-thirties, with neatly combed brown hair, who arrived with his wife and daughter, who was about nine. Norman pointed the man out as Graham of the Fiore Elite Four, his next opponent. Next was someone everybody recognized, a man of nearly sixty with close-cropped, dark brown hair and his wife clutching his arm: Pierce, the strongest of the Nishito Elite Four. Next was Will of the Johto Elite Four, who had just beaten Morty, wearing the same tailcoat as always, his dark hair almost as messy as Ash's, trying, along with his pretty, blond wife, to manage his three small daughters. A boy of about eighteen whom nobody recognized, extremely clean-cut and formal, arrived with what looked like his sister and parents. Then came another familiar face to Ash: Sabrina, a woman in her late twenties, her long black hair in a ponytail, accompanied by her parents and a tanned man with a shaved head (her new boyfriend, according to Max).

Last of all to arrive was Paul. His clothing was as formal and neat as anybody else's, and he spoke politely to all the League officials. Still, his face betrayed his annoyance with the event; Ash could tell that to his rival, this party was a waste of time. With a dour expression, he took his seat, accompanied by a much happier Reggie, his large-bellied, mustached, distinguished-looking father, and his mother, elegant-looking with shoulder-length, dark red hair.

With all trainers present, the Pokemon League officials filed over to the largest table to take their seats. Mr. Goodshow, however, remained standing, tapping his glass of water, and the babble around the hall ceased.

"To all our trainers, welcome!" said Mr. Goodshow heartily. "As you all know, the eight trainers whose families are here today are the quarterfinalists in the Champions' League. As the tradition goes, we are congratulating these trainers with an exquisite meal, followed by dancing for anyone who's interested. Let the eating begin!"

The kitchen doors opened, and about a dozen waiters came out, all bearing trays of food for the invitees. Two made their way to the table where Ash and his family were sitting.

"Wow!" said Ash upon seeing his plate. "That's some meal!" The contents were indeed impressive: pot roast with gravy, hash, cranberry sauce, peas, carrots, and even a salad with French dressing.

"And there's a lot of food here!" said May. "It's not like _some_ places with great food, where they only give you a little bit."

"Let's dig in!" said Norman. The others followed his lead, ruthlessly attacking the sumptuous meals on their plates.

* * *

With everyone served, three waiters scuttled to a far corner to talk among themselves.

"Meowth, you're a genius!" a woman said to her diminutive coworker.

"Of course I am, you two!" said Meowth. "What did I tell you? The twerp came to our party, and he even brought Pikachu with him!"

"So now the hard part," said James. "We wait."

"What do you think we've been doing for the last fifteen minutes?" hissed Jessie.

"Not _that _kind of waiting," said James. "We'll wait _for_ the twerps, not _on_ them."

"Hey, you three!" came a voice from the kitchen. "Get back here. There'll be a lot more food to serve!"

"Coming!" they all shouted in unison, dashing back to the kitchen.

* * *

"I'm stuffed!" said Ash, May, and Max in unison. The meal had been spectacular. No fewer than three courses had followed the first, concluding with an assortment of pies and cakes for dessert.

"Ash?" said Delia.

"Yeah?" said Ash.

"Make sure you get to the quarterfinals next year too. I could do with a meal like this every Christmas."

"I'll see what I can do," said Ash as the table laughed. "Let's worry about that next year."

Pikachu, however, jumped onto the table in front of Delia, smiling as raising a fist as it did so.

"There you go!" said May. "Pikachu thinks you can do this again!"

"Wow, a Pikachu!" said a little girl of about four, who ran over to the table. "Can I play with it?"

"Fallon, say please," said the girl's father, walking to the table after her.

Ash looked. It was Will, who had apparently eaten at the next table.

"This is my daughter, Fallon," said Will to Ash. "She has never seen a real Pikachu like she's always wanted to," said Will to Ash.

"So can I _please_ play with it?" asked Fallon excitedly.

"What do you say, Pikachu?" asked Ash. Pikachu jumped down, running in circles around little Fallon. "I guess that's a yes!" said Ash. "Have fun!"

"Thank you very much," said Will. "Did I introduce myself?"

"No, but you're Will, right? From the Johto Elite Four?"

"That's right."

"I'm Ash. Nice to meet you!"

"From Pallet Town, right?"

"Yeah."

At that moment, the sound of a spoon tapping a glass rang through the hall again. Everyone fell silent and looked at Mr. Goodshow, who was on his feet again. "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you've all had a great meal. And now I'm here to announce the next phase of the celebrations." He raised his arms, and classical violin music started playing. "Now, for whoever is interested, pair up and come onto the dance floor!" With that, Mr. Goodshow took his aged wife, whose white hair was tied in a bun, to her feet. Hand in hand, they both walked onto the floor, and started off the dancing.

Within a few minutes, he was joined by several couples: Norman and Caroline, Will and his wife, Paul's parents, Sabrina and her boyfriend, and slightly over half of the people present.

"Ash, is there anyone _you'd_ like to dance with?" inquired Delia.

"Uh... no," said Ash, bewildered.

"Of course not," said May. "Who would it be? There's no one here his age. But Max," she continued, turning to her younger brother, "see that girl over there?" She pointed across the room at a brown-haired girl, about nine years old. "I bet you and her would make a really nice couple!"

"Gross!" Max yelped in horror as Ash gave a loud laugh.

* * *

Roger looked around at all the dancing couples. As the only League official without a spouse, he did not join in. Watching carefully, he made sure that the other League officials were fully engaged in the dancing. Then, he looked over to the table to his left. Paul was sitting at the table, scowling. Roger looked around again. Paul's parents were dancing... his brother was chatting up the sister of the Hoenn League runner-up... he _had_ to have a talk with Paul, and this was the perfect moment. He walked up to his former pupil. "Paul?" he said sternly. "We need to talk."

Paul looked disdainfully at Roger. "What is this time?" he said, clearly annoyed.

"I think we both know the answer."

"Some more drivel about how I need to go soft?"

"Paul, I've never said that and you know I never will. All I'm trying to say is that you should deflate your ego, especially when your Pokemon lose. You may be strong, but there are plenty of other strong trainers, and there's no need to lose your head because you've lost a battle."

"I don't _lose my head_, thanks very much. And are you forgetting my last battle? I beat one of the strongest trainers in the tournament. If my Pokemon are up to par, there's no way they should lose."

"You're letting your pride get the better of you. You might have kept your cool enough to win against Brandon, but you would do better to keep your pride in check as well. Especially after it almost got you thrown out of the tournament."

"It's really very simple," said Paul, ignoring the last point. "If my Pokemon do what I tell them, they win. If they don't, or if they fall short, they lose. If that's not true, what are you saying about all the lessons you taught me before?"

"_That they're not foolproof._ They won't get you a win every time. If you expect that much, and release every Pokemon who loses, you'll end up without some of your best Pokemon. That's what you did by releasing your Honchkrow."

"Really?" Paul sounded skeptical. "Even if the advice of a has-been was any good, why are you telling me now?"

"You're battling Ash next, right? I know what you think of him. But I'm warning you: he's not nearly as weak as you think. He certainly exceeded _my _expectations. Like I told you before, _always keep your guard up._ This is an accident waiting to happen; losing to a trainer that you don't think stands a chance because you were overconfident."

Paul snorted, walking away.

_Oh well,_ thought Roger, _I'll just have to try something else..._

* * *

Ash was sitting alone at his table, laughing. Seeing May drag a reluctant Max over to her prospective dance partner just to embarrass him was priceless. Fallon was still playing with Pikachu, while his mother had left to get some water. The dancing was still going on. Suddenly, he heard a voice call his name.

"Ash!"

Ash turned around. "Hi, Roger," he said, wondering what the ex-champion wanted from him now.

"Can I have a seat?" asked Roger.

"S-sure," said Ash uncertainly.

Roger sat down. "It must be intimidating to be facing Paul right now," he said.

"No, not really," Ash lied.

"You can be honest with me," assured Roger. "Paul has beaten you consistently for a year. Now, he's beaten a powerful trainer who was his long-time nemesis. Anyone could be expected to be anxious in your place."

"Seriously, it's okay."

"You're not fooling anyone," said Roger as the song on the dance floor stopped. "But it's fine. You must have been putting what I taught you into practice. That's good. I taught you what you need to win."

Ash couldn't contain himself any longer. "It's _not_ the same as what you taught me," he said defiantly.

"Excuse me?"

"I've been training my way, not yours. I trust my Pokemon, and they trust me. _That's _how I won my last few battles. I know your way works for you, but not for me. It never worked for me and it never will."

Roger sighed. "Okay, Ash... if you really want it that way—"

"Roger!" came another, very angry voice. "What are you doing?"

Ash and Roger both looked in the direction of the voice. Norman, his face contorted with anger, was standing by the table, having stopped dancing, with Caroline standing nervously beside him.

"I'll go find May and Max," said Caroline, quickly moving away.

Roger, meanwhile, was unfazed by Norman's appearance. "I was just trying to give your son some valuable training advice, that's all," he said evenly.

"And why should Ash take your advice?" countered Norman. "Hasn't it done enough damage already? Ash's Pokemon stopped listening to him after Ash copied your training style; May even stopped talking to him until last week, as you should know. _Leave my son alone._"

"Norman, you need to listen," said Roger urgently. "If you think it hurts to train like I do, you're right. But if you can get past that, you get rid of your weakness. Then, you can go on to be a great trainer. That's all that I'm trying to teach Ash."

"I tried to teach myself this garbage," said Norman. "It completely ruined my first marriage. Ash doesn't need any relationships ruined like that."

"Ash needs my advice. In only a week and a half, he'll be fighting perhaps the biggest match of his life. You know what it's like to suffer defeat after defeat at the hands of a rival." Norman's teeth and fists clenched, but Roger pressed on: "Do you really want Ash's battling career to go like yours did? You've gone to seed. You're a shadow of your former self."

"Are you insane, Roger?" shouted Norman, spitting in his anger. "If you haven't noticed, I'm in the quarterfinals—"

"For the first time in over a decade," said Roger.

Watching this heated exchange brought up too much emotion for Ash. Not for the first time that day, his looming battle with Paul was at the front of his mind, the last place he wanted it to be on Christmas. "Come on," he said. "I can't listen to this. I'm going." He called Pikachu, who said a hurried goodbye to Fallon, and the two of them left the hall.

* * *

"Look!" said Jessie, pulling James and Meowth aside. "The twerp's beating it early!"

"Alright!" said James. "Meowth, is the coast clear?"

"Yeah, we have a clear field," said Meowth, looking at the party guests.

"Then let's go claim our prize Pikachu!" said Jessie. The three of them dashed out the door to follow Ash.

* * *

"Who just ran out the door?" asked Norman suspiciously, finally tearing his furious gaze away from Roger. "They look strangely familiar."

"If they're who I think they are, they're up to no good," said Roger. "Let's go after them."

Norman nodded, and the two of them left the banquet hall as well.

* * *

**Author's Note: No, I did not quit writing this story! I'm back in business! Sorry about the long wait, guys. I've had a lot going on in my life lately, so that's why it took so long. I promise, the next chapter won't take as long!**

**So Ash is still under pressure, even on Christmas. Roger and Team Rocket each want something different with him, and Norman's sincere attempts at protecting his son have only succeeded in causing tensions with his former rival. How will all these developments be resolved?**

**Also, special thanks to The Fan Fiction Writer for critiquing my whole story, reviewing several different chapters. Thanks for the feedback!**


	27. Life Counseling

Chapter 27: Life Counseling

Ash left the hotel, his head full of unpleasant thoughts. As he walked through Goldenrod City, people all around were eating, singing, opening presents, and celebrating in other ways. At the moment, however, Ash just wanted to get away from it all. Roger had a lot of nerve bringing up training with him; he could lose his job if any other League officials found out. However, his father had overreacted to the incident; hearing the two former rivals arguing like little children was one of the last things Ash needed on Christmas.

Ash turned down a road that he knew would take him right out of the city, ready to spend the rest of the holiday with friends who wouldn't make such a scene. Reaching the edge of a clump of trees, Ash released his power team form their Pokeballs: Charizard, Snorlax, Heracross, Staraptor, and Sceptile all came out, looking around at the light snow on the ground.

"Merry Christmas, guys," said Ash. "We're not training today, but I thought we'd spend a little time together today, alright?" After pausing for the cheers, Ash asked Heracross, "Hey Heracross, how's your leg feeling?" Heracross stood on each leg in turn before raising its arms. Clearly, the pulled muscle had healed completely. "Okay, everyone, let's have some fun!"

Having fun with his Pokemon was the perfect way to distract himself from everything going on between Roger, his father, and himself. Right after he'd finished speaking, Pikachu and Staraptor both tackled him, knocking him backward into the snow. Everyone else laughed and pointed as the two fast Pokemon made a beeline away from their trainer; a game of Tag had started, and Ash was "It."

"Aww, no fair, guys!" said Ash, getting up and laughing. "I'll just have to do... _this!_" Ash lunged, trying to tag Heracross, who seemed to be looking at a flower. However, the beetle Pokemon flapped its wings quickly, flying above Ash's hand. "Grrr... I'll get one of you guys!" said Ash, sprinting at Charizard and Snorlax.

* * *

"So it looks like the twerp's found somewhere he'd like to stay," said James, watching the game of Tag from a distance through a pair of binoculars. "Good work, team!"

"The twerp will stay, but his Pokemon won't!" crowed Jessie, who was next to James and using an identical pair of binoculars.

"Especially not that problem Pikachu!" exclaimed Meowth, who was other Jessie's other side. "All we is to get that new machine we built."

"I'll go get it!" said Jessie quickly, running away from the other two.

"Me too!" said James, running after Jessie. "Make sure the twerp and his Pokemon stay there, Meowth!"

Meowth sighed as his two human teammates left him behind. "Why am I always the one who does the boring work?" he muttered ruefully.

* * *

"Can't catch me!" Ash taunted. It was good, finally, not to be chased. Ash's time as "It" had lasted over ten minutes as he'd tried to catch his agile Pokemon. Finally, Ash had caught Charizard off guard, swatting the Fire-type's wing as it landed on the ground to catch its breath. Charizard had gone after Staraptor in the air for a couple of minutes before giving up, swooping down to tag Heracross instead. Heracross, much like its trainer, was now having trouble tagging anyone. After being outrun by Pikachu, Heracross chased Ash, who avoided the tired Bug-type without too much difficulty. Then, taking a leaf out of its trainer's book, Heracross suddenly changed direction, tapping a surprised Sceptile on the back and darting into the trees.

Sceptile's annoyance was almost palpable. Clenching its fists and its teeth, it ran right into the trees, trying to tag Heracross back. Everyone could still hear Sceptile's unusually loud footsteps in the grove when Heracross ascended above the treetops, laughing.

Just then, a ball, made of a clear material, appeared out of nowhere to encase Heracross. Four more glass balls came out in succession, trapping Pikachu, Staraptor, Charizard, and Snorlax in turn.

"W-what's going on?" Ash asked frantically. He gasped; looking up, he saw a Meowth-shaped balloon with a bulky machine attached to the bottom silhouetted against the sky.

"Is that a twerpish voice I hear," came Jessie's voice from the balloon.

"It's speaking to me loud and clear," James responded.

"Not you three again!" Ash groaned.

"You know, twerp, for once we're not complaining that you interrupted our motto," said Jessie.

"It just means that we can take all these Pokemon to the boss sooner," stated James.

"So adios, twerp," said Meowth as giant arms collected the five trapped Pokemon and put them into the machine at the bottom of the balloon. Four rocket boosters on the balloon roared to life, and it rose quickly toward the clouds.

"Sceptile, come on out!" Ash shouted into the trees. "We're gonna need your help!"

As Sceptile hurried out of the grove, Jessie shouted accusingly at Meowth, "I thought we had all of the twerp's Pokemon! Why didn't you say we were one short?"

Meowth counted the Pokemon on its fingers. "Pikachu... Heracross... Staraptor... Snorlax... Charizard... oh yeah! We forgot the twerp's Sceptile!"

"So bring us back to get it!" yelled James.

"No!" said Meowth stubbornly. "These five will be enough to put us back in the boss's good books. If we go back for that Sceptile and end up dropping the Pokemon we have, then I can just tell the boss how you messed up our mission."

Ash watched anxiously as the balloon continued rising, waiting for Sceptile to emerge from the trees. When Sceptile finally came out, the balloon was several hundred feet up. "Okay, Sceptile, Quick Attack to reach that balloon!" Ash ordered. Using the trees, Sceptile sprang into the air, getting closer and closer... before hitting its head on the machine and falling downward again. "No!" said Ash. "Sceptile!"

Sceptile managed a relatively soft landing, and took a couple of seconds to recover. "Okay, Sceptile, Leaf Storm!" Ash commanded. A powerful cyclone of leaves formed around Sceptile before launching itself at Team Rocket's balloon. However, the force of gravity slowed the attack down, and the balloon was so high that the Leaf Storm only managed to jostle it. "It's no good... try a Solarbeam!" said Ash desperately. He crossed his hands as Sceptile charged up its attack and the balloon rose still higher. By the time that Sceptile had fired the attack, the balloon was covered by a cloud, and the Solarbeam, like the Leaf Storm, did little.

"Stop it right there, you crooks!" came a shout from the side. Ash looked to see Norman and Roger standing ready to battle. Ash's father even had a Pokeball in his hand.

Norman was about to send out a Pokemon when Roger held his arm back. "Allow me," he said. Throwing his own Pokeball, Roger called, "Let's go, Victreebel!" Roger's oversized Victreebel materialized, its small eyes on the Meowth balloon. "Use Leaf Storm!" he commanded. Victreebel's Leaf Storm did what Sceptile's couldn't; it hit the balloon, ripping a hole in the side and dislodging one of the attached rocket boosters. Damaged, the balloon descended steadily before crash-landing in front of Ash, Norman, and Roger, who all looked livid.

Ready, Jessie and James sprang into action, sending their own Pokemon into the fray.

"Go, Seviper!"

"You too, Carnivine!"

However, Carnivine didn't even have time to clamp its jaws on James' head before Roger yelled, "Hyper Beam!" The balloon exploded in a spectacular fireball after Victreebel's second attack hit, sending Jessie, James, Meowth, Seviper, and Carnivine back into the clouds and out of sight.

"Okay," said Roger. "Now let's free the Pokemon." Walking over to the ruined machine, the three of them managed to find the spheres that contained Ash's Pokemon; they were still intact. In fact, they were so sturdy that they had to enlist the help of Roger's Hitmonlee and Blaziken to free everyone.

"Is everyone okay?" Ash asked when the last ball was broken. His Pokemon gave a tired affirmative, and Pikachu jumped into his arms. "Thanks for helping me out, Roger."

"You realize what enabled me to help you like that, don't you?" asked Roger in response.

"Uh... what do you mean?" asked Ash, although he thought he knew what was coming.

"Did you notice how strong Victreebel's Leaf Storm was compared to Sceptile's?"

"Yeah. That was some power."

"Do you realize how hard I had to train Victreebel for it to be that powerful?"

Watching Norman's face contort into a frown behind Roger's back, Ash answered hesitantly, "You probably had to work really hard."

"Exactly," said Roger. "I worked Victreebel to and past the point of exhaustion. That's where my training methods got me. Remember that in the future, when you're ready for that kind of training. Or to beat Paul in your next match, you can start training like this now." With that, Roger walked away, leaving Ash and Norman unable to say anything.

* * *

It was not the perfect end to the Christmas celebration. Ash was in a bad mood by his unusually early bedtime, and it did not improve by morning. Roger had just demonstrated in full the power that could be gained by imitating him. His Fighting-types were exceedingly strong; they could free Ash's Pokemon from their spherical prisons made of super-strong material, when neither Ash's nor Norman's Pokemon could do the same. And his Victreebel's Leaf Storm could hit targets that were miles above the ground...

When Ash woke up, he was unusually quiet and cold. He did not smile while saying good morning to Pikachu, and he didn't say another word while showering, brushing his teeth, or getting dressed. The rest of the morning before training was a blur in Ash's mind; neither Pikachu's presence, nor any words of his friends, nor the food comprising his breakfast stuck in Ash's memory. His entire being was concentrated on his goal: training for the match against Paul.

However, even though Ash was entirely focused on the task at hand, his two main instincts on how to complete it were at war with each other. On the one hand was his friendship with and compassion for his Pokemon; without it, Ash would not have a team so enthusiastic about battling. The biggest example of this was Infernape, rescued from abandonment by Paul, who was frustrated about the then-Chimchar's seeming lack of power. With an encouraging, nurturing, and positive training environment, Infernape found a new strength; in all likelihood, Ash could not have won his last match without Infernape on his team.

On the other hand, however, was Ash's will to win, the raw determination that had served him so well. It had always enabled Ash to work extra hard, eventually beating opponents that had seemed unstoppable. Those were the occasions when Ash had had his greatest successes; when he trained hard to help his Pokemon become the best that they could be. He thought of Heracross, ready to make its mark on the world of battling only weeks after it had chosen Ash as its trainer. Ash had promised Heracross a big battle victory, trained Heracross hard, and had eventually made good on his promise twice over: Heracross chalked up wins against a previously undefeated Scizor and a powerful Magmar belonging to Gary.

Now Ash was faced with the same choice that had been plaguing him for months: between hard training with rigorous discipline and a friendlier training style that included building trust. After seeing the display of force that Roger had just showed, it really appeared that rigid, harsh, high-expectation training led to prizes and accolades, including the coveted titles of National Champion and Pokemon Master for which Ash had always hoped to win. However, while hard work was in Ash's character, he and his Pokemon were not suited to Roger's level of stringency. He had already had one fiasco in trying to train in this way. He had learned the hard way that he could not sell his soul in trying to achieve his dreams. It was not an easy decision to make, but Ash could not afford to make the mistake of overtraining again.

Arriving at his training grounds, Ash paused, his hands in his pockets, oblivious to the cold, looking at the ground. He was hesitant to let his Pokemon out for training when he was almost certain that his training would lead them to defeat. It felt somehow dishonest or patronizing to do so. Finally, Pikachu walked in front of him, asking its trainer when he was planning to start training.

"Okay, Pikachu," said Ash, a little surprised. "We can start now." _Here goes_, he thought, calling out his whole team. When Charizard, Sceptile, Heracross, Staraptor, and Snorlax had all joined Pikachu in front of him, Ash took a deep breath and started talking. "Hey, guys," he said more heavily than he'd intended. "Okay. Let's have a few warmup sparring matches. I'll put... maybe... Snorlax with Staraptor..."

Ash's voice trailed away and his face fell. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Ash started crying. Shocked, Pikachu ran up to him, and the others crowded concernedly around him. "I'm sorry, guys," he said, looking at his team's feet. "I might as well not put up a front. To be honest... I think we're gonna lose our next battle. I screwed up our training. If I didn't try to train like Roger before... maybe we'd be able to win. But now..." After another wave of tears, Ash wiped his eyes and started talking again. "I'm sorry," he said again, this time looking his team in the eyes. "I know that you guys are the strongest Pokemon I have. I should be _winning_ battles with you, not losing. But I guess all I can do is... I'll battle with all of you again. Lots more. And I promise that you'll never lose another battle." More tears ran down Ash's face as his face dropped again.

After wiping his face Ash moved to look at his power team again. When he saw Pikachu by itself, however, he stopped in surprised; his best friend was grinning. Pikachu flexed its muscles, giving a happy cry while sparks flew from its cheeks. "Pikachu?" Ash asked. Then, another cry from above his head made him look up; Staraptor was flying around everyone else in a complicated aerial maneuver. Sceptile and Snorlax threw their arms in the air simultaneously afterwads, while Heracross struck up a fighting stance. "You guys are the best!" said Ash, finally smiling at his Pokemon's spirit.

But the pep talk wasn't over yet. With a fist pump uncannily like its trainer's, Charizard let out a roar that sent a dozen nearby Spearow flying away in fright.

* * *

In training over the next few days, Ash was sustained only by the enthusiasm of his Pokemon. He was still as convinced as ever that he would lose to Paul in their third straight full battle, but it was still difficult to have a defeatist attitude when his most powerful Pokemon were working so hard all day. The entire team was doing what Ash had done himself for a long time when faced with a superior opponent; they appeared full of the resolve that even if they were destined to lose, none of them would go down without a hard fight.

Overall, Sceptile had the record for this determination. Apart from working incredibly hard to perfect its vital new moves, it took every opportunity to have a sparring match with Charizard, a cocky thing to do even with Sceptile's liking for showing off. Even though Sceptile lost every time, it managed to give Charizard a couple of close fights near the end of the training period.

The week after Christmas passed in a blur. It felt like every day was the same, sort of like the training at Professor Oak's lab after Roger's visit. The days were long and hard, and Ash and his Pokemon were too tired at night to have much fun. The one difference was that Ash was not making the decision to have such grueling training sessions; his whole power team was willing to make every effort to prepare for the match.

Still, though, as fate would have it, the last three training days were short ones. The first one was New Year's Day; Ash and all of his Pokemon, tired as they were, stayed up until midnight to ring in the new year. The celebration in the morning was informal and perfunctory, as opposed to the gaudy, dressy Christmas party; Ash spent the time mainly watching TV intermittently with his mother, father, and half-siblings and eating leftover Christmas cookies. However, it was the first time since Christmas that Ash wasn't preoccupied with his looming match, and the two hours he spent training later in the day (at Charizard's insistence) were enough for him.

On the next day, after sleeping late in the morning, Ash went to the train station to greet Professor Oak and Dawn in turn; the two of them were returning to Goldenrod City to watch Ash's match. Ash broke the news about the identity of his father to both of them. Professor Oak, a friend of Ash's family even before Norman and Delia had split up, knew the truth already; he smiled and expressed his happiness that the father and son were reunited at last. Dawn, however, could not believe the news; the father of one of her toughest contest opponents, who had traveled with Ash for a long time, was Ash's father as well!

Ash also exchanged Christmas stories with Professor Oak and Dawn. Professor Oak had had Gary and the rest of his family over for Christmas dinner; Ash's Infernape had helped with the cooking, making less work for the professor, who was never a whiz in the kitchen. Gary had even treated everyone to a Pokemon demonstration after the meal was over.

Dawn, meanwhile, had had a good time as well. She had spent Christmas at a town-wide party, where her mother and grandmother had pooled their cooking secrets to make lots of delicious food for hundreds. Dawn had a reunion with Kenny, a friendly rival of hers on the contest circuit, who, much like Ash, was taking a break from training sessions and was careful not to overindulge in any of Christmas trappings. Dawn had also run into Barry, who was doing the exact opposite. Never one to consider the consequences of his actions, Barry had tried to use his brand new fake ID to obtain some whiskey, hoping to become the envy of the other kids his age. The headstrong trainer had presented the false driver's license to a vendor— who happened to recognize him as Palmer's underage son. Barry's furious father had then grounded him from watching TV, playing video games, and using his computer for three weeks, with the added provision that Barry was prohibited from traveling for two months.

After all the catching up, Ash had again gone to the training grounds (this time, it was Pikachu's idea to squeeze in a little more training) for some more midnight oil before dinnertime.

* * *

Then, on the last day before the match, the first of the quarterfinals, Ash forwent his training for a very special occasion: he would be having a father-son day with Norman for the first time in his life. Ash had wanted to schedule time with his father before the new year, but Norman had insisted that today was the best time. So, with much of the snow melted, the air still cold, and people winding down from the holidays, Ash met his father in the hotel lobby before going on their outing.

"Hi, Ash!" said Norman when Ash stepped out of the hallway. "Look who's playing hooky from training to spend time with his old man!"

Ash laughed at Norman's joke. "Hey, Dad! Maybe you shouldn't be so lazy about training either! _I_ sure wouldn't take time off if I had to battle an Elite Four member." He held out his hand. Norman shook it vigorously before pulling his son into a hug.

"So it's just you and me today, son!" said Norman. "What do you want to do first?"

"Well, I just met this guy who said he could get us some really good drugs... I'm just kidding!" Ash added hastily as Norman's jaw dropped in shock.

* * *

Ash and his father went all over the city together. They passed the reopened souvenir stands, more to look at the ridiculous merchandise, such as a belching model Electivire and a computer-generated image of what Will of the Johto Elite Four would look like as a punk rocker, than to buy anything. They climbed the radio tower again, eager to get another bird's eye view of the city. They went bowling, loading up on pizza and soda around lunch time, with Norman finishing ahead by fifty-two points. They went to a gym with several different sports arenas, where Ash took his revenge, demolishing his father in one-on-one basketball. After that, the combination of empty calories and heavy physical exertion caught up with them, and the two of them caught a taxi back to the hotel, where they stumbled into Ash's room as though drunk and collapsed into two chairs.

"Wow, what a blast!" exclaimed Norman, panting slightly. "So my oldest is a really good basketball player as well as a Pokemon trainer."

"Yeah, I had fun too," said Ash. "I can't believe you beat me so bad at bowling."

"Well," Norman admitted, "Slaking really likes bowling, and has ever since it was a Slakoth."

"So you practiced a lot with Slaking, I bet."

"Oh, absolutely. For a little while, when Slaking was still a Slakoth, it was more interested in bowling than in battling. It participated in Pokemon bowling tournaments and everything."

"Sounds like the Aipom I caught when I was taking on the Kanto Battle Frontier," said Ash. "I traded Aipom to Dawn, because Aipom wanted to compete in contests while Dawn's Buizel wanted to learn some battle moves. After it evolved, Ambipom really got into Pokemon Ping Pong tournaments, and Dawn left it with a trainer who could help it get better at Ping Pong."

"So Dawn let Ambipom choose Ping Pong instead of contests?" asked Norman, sounding impressed.

"Yeah. If Ambipom was still my Pokemon, I would've done the same thing. Wouldn't you?"

Norman paused. "If it had happened nowadays, I probably would have. But back when my Slakoth was interested in bowling, I was a little bit strict with my Pokemon; not harsh like Roger is, but certainly not as warm and friendly as Dawn or May or Max, or especially you. So when Slakoth's battle performance suffered because of its love of bowling, I felt like I had to take action."

"So you really..." Ash paused, trying to get his head around Norman's new confession. "So you stopped Slakoth from bowling when it liked bowling?"

"Don't get me wrong," said Norman. "It wasn't really a problem per se if Slakoth liked bowling. However, I was too narrow-minded to see Slakoth as capable of success in anything other than Pokemon battles. So I put a cap on Slakoth's bowling games: one for every two battle victories."

"What?" Ash paused. Norman's behavior had reminded him of something Roger had told him _As talented as you are, and yes, you are _very_ talented, you must remember that _you_ are the trainer. _You_ have to make the difference. _You_ have to lead your Pokemon, whether they like where you're taking them or not._ Then, Ash remembered the tremendous power that Roger's Victreebel had shown in stopping Team Rocket. "So is that why Slaking got so strong?" asked Ash. "Because you kept it away from other things it liked to do?"

"Actually, in retrospect, I think the opposite happened. I think depriving Slakoth of its hobby at such an early stage of its development dampened its enthusiasm, and thus its battling ability, in the long run."

"But... how does that make sense?" Ash paused again. He was about to bring up the painful subject of his upcoming battle. "Did you see Roger's Victreebel? Or how about Paul's Torterra when it beat Regice?"

"Well," said Norman, frowning slightly and talking pensively, "Victreebel and Torterra are both _very_ powerful Pokemon. The reason that those Pokemon are stronger than Slaking is that Roger and Paul are consistently harsh and no-nonsense. I was only that way intermittently; I mixed friendly and disciplinarian training in ways that made sense to me, but that befuddled Slaking and my other Pokemon."

Ash's heart sank, and he asked his most troubling question: "So does that mean Roger and Paul have the best training style for winning after all?"

"Well... no," said Norman. "Their style is certainly better than mine was; Paul and Roger focus on certain aspects of training while sacrificing others, while I foolishly tried to incorporate 'a little of everything' into my training. My Pokemon were theoretically well-rounded, but many of my opponents managed to beat me by knowing how to use their Pokemon's greatest strengths most effectively while compensating for their weaknesses. However, the trainers who have a strong commitment to a training style more like yours tend to do extremely well; look at Cynthia; apart from being the national champion, she also beat Roger while competing in her first ever Champions' League. She has proven that empathy and synergy of thoughts are extremely valuable assets in Pokemon battles. If and when you ever become the champion, I am certain that you will do it by following Cynthia's lead instead of Roger's."

"But still, everyone knows... that Paul's a better trainer than me," Ash finished in a soft, defeated-sounding voice.

"Ash, listen to me," said Norman, leaning forward and taking hold of Ash's shoulders. "Why is it so important to you to win against Paul?"

"You really need me to answer that?"

Norman smiled a little. "Maybe not, but please do."

"I want to become the champion. And I want to become a Pokemon Master."

"And if you don't become a champion or a master?"

"Well... what, you don't think I can?"

"Yes, I _do _think you can. But there are a number of other who can as well. Paul is one of them. And if you don't end up getting the prize... well, maybe you just need to learn to enjoy the chase."

"What does _that_ mean?"

"It means you can't always live in despair because you can't achieve your goals. You should battle because you _like_ battling, not just to get a title. That's what Roger did."

"And he got what he wanted, right? He became the champion."

"He did. But speaking as his rival, you might notice that I'm still battling and he's not. After losing his title, Roger stopped battling. Proving himself was the most important thing to him. You saw how powerful his Pokemon are. How do you think he'd do in a Champions' League right now?"

"Really good."

"But would he actually win it?"

"Well... maybe... maybe not."

"Sure. Maybe he can. Still, though, he was a national champion, and he saw that his results on the battlefield would likely slip lower afterward. He has nothing more to prove, except through his legacy."

"Legacy?" repeated Ash blankly.

"Paul is Roger's legacy," explained Norman. Smiling at Ash's incredulity, Norman continued, "Roger got to direct Paul's entire battling career. To have made such a strong trainer what he is today would demonstrate that Roger was one of the greatest trainers ever─ a Pokemon Master, if you will."

"But... if Roger wants Paul to win so badly, why did he keep trying to help _me_ out? He wouldn't stop giving me tips all through the tournament... and he offered to help me over the summer..."

"He was doing all that because he believes in tough love. He felt that Paul was deserting him, and surmised that to make Paul start listening to him again, he had to help a 'weaker' trainer defeat him using his own training style. So in the end, Roger was helping you for Paul's benefit, not yours."

"So, Dad..." Ash paused, trying to phrase what he wanted to say next. "How do you feel about Roger having Paul as his legacy?"

Norman smiled widely. "It's alright with me," he declared. "because you know who _my_ legacy is? It's you. And May, and Max. I have coached several students on and off over the years, but I'm happier to have such great kids than to have good students."

"So I really need to try my best to make you proud, huh?"

"No. Of course, you _should_ give every battle your all. I can't see you... no, _you_ can't see _yourself _doing anything else. And if you win this battle, or the league, or the national championship, I will be enormously proud of you."

"And... if I lose?"

"Then I'm _still_ proud of you. If you lose tomorrow, you've still made it to the quarterfinals of your first Champions' League, pulled off the comeback of the tournament in the first round, and above all, as much as you have a passion for Pokemon battles, you didn't let it ruin your life with your friends and family. On _all_ of those counts, you have done much better than I have. As a parent, it's really what I've hoped for the most, even though I have no right to ask this."

Ash could not believe his ears. It was more than he could handle. To hear about Roger and his legacy and Norman and _his_ legacy boggled his mind. Finally, he managed to say, "Dad, you're the best."

"It's the least I could do, son," said Norman. "Best of luck tomorrow. And no matter if you win or lose, you will always have your friends... and your family."

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry about this chapter taking so long. I would have finished it sooner... but I got a triple whammy: a nasty hurricane interrupted my schedule (anyone in the eastern United States would know which one I'm talking about), I just started a new job that's keeping me really busy, and, well, this chapter was a lot longer and more involved than I'd planned it. However, expect the next chapter much more quickly, since I already have the next few mapped out. :)**

**So Ash's father gives him some words of wisdom on the eve of his biggest challenge yet. Ash will finally have another full battle with Paul, but to himself and many others, his prospects of a victory seem bleak.**

**Next chapter will cover the first part of this battle, so stay tuned!**


	28. Maximum Fire Power

Chapter 28: Maximum Fire Power

It was time for the Champions' League to resume. The quarterfinal round, comprising the first battles of the new year, would be initiated in about a minute. The inaugural battle was a fight between a tournament favorite, widely expected to win, and his underdog rival. All over the country, huge numbers of people were either tuning in to watch the battle on television, tracking it online, or in some cases, watching the match in the stadium.

Most people were merely Pokemon League fans, watching the battle for the thrill of seeing two of the top trainers n action. For others, however, the match held a very personal meaning. In Lavender Town, a tall, pale man sat in his shabby living room watching the TV, sharing the couch with a Gengar, a Banette, and a Lampent. In Viridian City, the newest gym leader in Kanto, dejected from seeing his Blastoise, Scizor, and Flygon lose a tough battle, lay down on his bed to see what shows were on; his expression brightened considerably to see his friend on the field, ready for the biggest battle of his life. In Twinleaf Town, a middle-aged woman, accompanied by her Glameow, listened to the radio commentary as she fixed dinner for herself, cheering silently for the underdog (her daughter, who was in Goldenrod City, was absent). In Professor Oak's lab, a young, casually-dressed man paced the room as he watched the set belonging to his employer.

In the stands, the fans were much more expressive. The entire stadium was filled to capacity with screaming spectators, while many more watched on view screens on the outside, all wondering whether the young trainer from Pallet Town could overcome his almost-as-young, yet more esteemed, rival. Close to the field, three young teenage girls were holding up a sign reading, "We Love U Ash! XOXO." In the front row on the other side, several people watching were leaning over the railing, nervously awaiting the start of the battle, waiting to see what would happen. Next to them, two old rivals, Norman and Roger, were shaking hands and wishing luck.

On the field, facing each other across the dirt, the two trainers themselves were looking determinedly into each other's eyes, as though each was trying to make the other flinch first. Paul, the odds-on favorite of the match, was looking impassive, almost bored that he would have to face Ash again. Ash was gritting his teeth, barely hearing as people in the crowd cheered his name, fully focused on the enormous task of battling his nemesis. The two opponents did not even look away or flinch when the referee made his obligatory speech to open the battle.

"This is a six-on-six full battle between Paul from Veilstone City and Ash from Pallet Town. It will continue until all six of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle, with no time limit. Either trainer may substitute Pokemon at will. The trainer with the first attack will be randomly selected." The electronic roulette wheel on the scoreboard stopped on a red wedge, giving Ash the first attack. "Begin!" the referee called, raising both flags.

"Okay, here goes," whispered Ash, looking at his first Pokeball. He threw it, calling out the Pokemon inside. "Staraptor, I choose you!" Staraptor spread its wings as it emerged, glaring at Paul as it flapped above Ash's head.

Paul gave a half-smile, sending out his own Pokemon without missing a beat. "Hariyama, stand by for battle!"

Ash scented danger immediately. _Why's Paul starting off with Hariyama? Is he trying to do what I did with Buizel in our last battle? _"Staraptor, Quick Attack!" he called. Turning it's gaze to Hariyama, Ash's Pokemon flew forward at full speed, rushing toward its bulky opponent.

"Intercept it!" commanded Paul.

"Pull up, Staraptor!" ordered Ash reactively. As Hariyama raised its arms, Staraptor cleared its right shoulder, evading its opponent's grip. "Now, turn around for another Quick Attack!" Staraptor did an about-face, this time aiming at Hariyama's back. The Fighting-type flailed its arms vainly, unable to stop the attack from hitting. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Ash called. Staraptor doubled back again, landing another hit.

"Use Ice Punch!" commanded Paul. Hariyama swung an ice-cold fist at its retreating opponent, hitting Staraptor in the back and sending it almost halfway across the field.

"Okay, Staraptor, Aerial Ace again!" ordered Ash. Staraptor steadied itself before moving in for another attack.

"Intercept!" called Paul calmly.

"Dodge it!" commanded Ash. Again, Staraptor slipped away from its much slower opponent. "Okay, now Brave Bird!" he shouted. Having flown high into the air, Starptor dove, picking up speed, closing in for a much stronger hit—

"Block with Force Palm!" yelled Paul.

Ash's mouth dropped open as Hariyama carried out its newest order. Hariyama had not left its back completely exposed a second time, and was now in a good position to bring its palm into Staraptor's cheek as it flew in. Staraptor, instead of landing a hit, crashed into the ground.

"Follow up with Ice Punch!" Paul ordered, pressing the attack.

"Staraptor, Close Combat!" Ash called. Staraptor started kicking even before it was upright, knocking its adversary's arm aside. Then, it launched itself fully at Hariyama, attacking viciously with whichever wing or claw it could swing. "Now," said Ash, "keep things going our way! Quick Attack!"

"Duck!" commanded Paul. Hariyama barely avoided the Quick Attack, crouching low while holding an arm out behind itself.

"I'm not falling for _that_ one again!" Ash yelled. "Staraptor, use Quick Attack to circle around Hariyama as close to the ground as you can! Make sure you can remember where Hariyama is!" Staraptor flew low at an amazing speed, throwing a thick cloud of dust into the air, never taking its eyes off its opponent.

"Pathetic," muttered Paul. "You'd think he would've learned from my battle against Brandon." He waited intently for the next order to come, ready to spring the trap.

"Now, Staraptor, give it your best Brave Bird!" called Ash.

"Watch the way the dust moves, Hariyama!" directed Paul. "Then, intercept!"

A commotion sounded in the middle of the quickly-receding dust cloud, and the result of Ash's and Paul's tactics was revealed to everyone. Staraptor had managed to push Hariyama back several feet, but Hariyama's left hand was clamped around Staraptor's head, and the Flying-type was struggling to break free.

Ash gasped, and gave out a desperate order. "Staraptor, use Close Combat!"

"Use Ice Punch!" ordered Paul. Staraptor's wings and feet were only barely within range of Hariyama's body, and they were completely ineffective. Hariyama's powerful Ice Punch then froze all of Staraptor's limbs in place. "Now, Focus Punch!" called Paul. Hariyama brought its fist back, and delivered an even stronger punch while simultaneously letting go of its adversary. The ice shattered, and Staraptor shot right across the field, where it crashed into the wall behind Ash, sliding to the ground after a second.

"Staraptor is unable to battle!" announced the referee, raising a green flag. "Hariyama is the winner!"

Ash recalled Staraptor, his nerves building. He'd been counting on taking an immediate lead; coming back from behind would be at least ten times more difficult. "Thanks, Staraptor," he said after recalling his fallen Pokemon. "You did great out there. Now you can just relax." Ash considered his options before choosing his next Pokemon: "Heracross, I choose you!" Heracross replaced Staraptor on the field, looking warily at its much larger opponent.

"Okay," said Paul quietly. "At least he's not sticking with that pathetic team he brought from Sinnoh."

"Okay, Heracross, Take Down!" commanded Ash.

"Another direct attack," said Paul, sounding bored. "Intercept it with Fire Punch!"

"Break off the attack!" Ash shouted as Heracross almost reach Hariyama, who swung its fist right where Heracross would have been.

"Fire Punch again!" ordered Paul. Hariyama stepped forward as it threw its second punch, throwing Heracross backward.

_It's dangerous just to get in close,_ thought Ash. _But what if__—_"Heracross, Megahorn!" called Ash. Heracross moved in to attack again, its horn pointed right at Paul's Pokemon.

"Intercept it!" commanded Paul. Just like it had done with Staraptor, Hariyama made to block the attack by physically stopping its adversary. It closed its hands around Heracross's horn; its knees buckled, but it succeeded in halting the Megahorn.

_Bingo!_ thought Ash. "Now, Hyper Beam!" he ordered. With Hariyama still holding it, Heracross's horn started emitting a yellow-orange light. It hit its mark at full force, and it was Hariyama's turn to get blasted back a few feet.

"Fire Punch!" shouted Paul, enraged at Ash's tactics. Hariyama waddled up to Heracross, taking advantage of its opponent's immobility, and punched with its fiery fist again. "Now use Focus Punch!" Paul called.

"You too, Heracross!" yelled Ash. Both punches connected with their targets; Heracross hit Hariyama in the face while Hariyama slugged Heracross's torso. Both Pokemon staggered backward under the forces of each other's attacks. _Time to go for broke_, thought Ash. _Hariyama must have taken massive damage, so I'll finish this now._ "Heracross, Megahorn, full power!" he commanded. Heracross charged forward again, targeting its opponent's neck as though jousting.

Paul gritted his teeth as he watched Heracross moving in. Since he couldn't afford to have Hariyama simply block the attack, he would have to try something different. "Fire Punch!" he ordered. However, Paul was too late in calling out his move. Hariyama had only just raised its fist when the Megahorn hit home, and the Arm Thrust Pokemon crumpled.

The referee raised his red flag, announcing, "Hariyama is unable to battle! Heracross is the winner!"

Paul recalled Hariyama, completely ignoring the cheers of the crowd. "Electivire, stand by for battle!" he called, sending out his next Pokemon.

"Heracross, return!" called Ash, recalling the tired Bug-type. "Alright," he said to himself. "Time to test out our biggest plan. Sceptile, I choose you!" he shouted, throwing his next Pokeball. Sceptile faced Electivire, a smile on its lizard-like face.

"Light Screen!" commanded Paul, using one of his favorite strategies.

"Sceptile, you know what to do!" said Ash.

Paul watched Sceptile in puzzlement; his adversary's Pokemon didn't even move. With the Light Screen blocking his vision, he failed to see a blue-green glow engulfing the Grass-type. He smirked. _Figures_, he thought. _Ash must be giving up already._ With the Light Screen in place, he called Electivire back and threw his next Pokeball. "Magmortar, stand by for battle!" Magmortar came out, wearing a smirk identical to its trainer's; Sceptile, however, looked unfazed, smirking right back.

"Alright, Quick Attack!" ordered Ash, eager to start the battle. Sceptile ran forward with astounding speed, hitting Magmortar head-on before darting off to the side.

"Use Flamethrower!" called Paul. Taking aim with its cannon-like arm, his Pokemon shot a jet of fire at Sceptile's back.

"Dodge, then Brick Break!" ordered Ash confidently. Sceptile executed a difficult spinning jump, taking itself out of the line of fire, and delivered a downward chop to Magmortar's head, shattering the Light Screen.

Smiling at the anger written all over Paul's face, Ash pulled out Sceptile's Pokeball. "Sceptile, return!" he shouted, calling the Grass-type back. He hesitated for half a second before choosing his next Pokemon. Another trainer would have saved it for last. Still, Ash had no other Pokemon with so much versatility fighting Paul's team; it could take out Torterra, Magmortar, Electavire, or maybe Ursaring in a one-on-one battle. Taking a deep breath, Ash made his decision by casting the Pokeball in his hand. "Charizard, I choose you!" The Flame Pokemon came out with a mighty roar, shooting a burst of fire toward the sky.

The surprised noises of the crowed echoed the shocked expression on Paul's face; although Charizard was an obvious choice for Ash to use in this battle, _nobody_ expected to see this powerful battler this early in the match. Quickly getting over his shock, Paul started to laugh. "Seriously," he called across the field, "stop your pathetic strategy. It takes a really weak trainer to put all your cards on the table like you just did."

"What are you talking about?" Ash shot back.

"Well, you already sent out your Charizard, Sceptile, Heracross, and Staraptor, while I'm guessing you'll use your Pikachu in this match as well."

"So?"

"So now I know your whole battle strategy. You're trying to outgun me with powerful attacks, like that's possible. So now I can guess your last Pokemon too. It's your Snorlax, right?"

"You'll just have to find out!" Ash shouted. "And we'll see who's strategy's pathetic when Charizard rips apart your whole team! Start things off with Dragonbreath!" he commanded his Pokemon. Almost as enraged as Ash was, Charizard opened its mouth wide, shooting a noxious-looking green cloud at Magmortar.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" ordered Paul. The collision of the two attacks created a massive explosion, covering the entire field with thick smoke.

"No more fighting in the dust and smoke!" Ash declared. "Charizard, blow it all away!" Charizard flapped its large, leathery wings, making short work of the smoke.

Paul waited; as soon as Charizard had stopped flapping, he called, "Use Smog!" Magmortar released its own noxious-looking cloud of gas, which billowed as it made its way toward Charizard.

"Okay, Charizard, Take Down!" commanded Ash. Oblivious to the obvious danger involved, Charizard flew right through the Smog attack in an attempt to land a hit.

Paul smirked again as Charizard streaked toward the cloud. Was Ash _really _going to let Charizard get poisoned? Charizard entered the cloud of toxic fumes... and was engulfed in the same blue-green glow that had covered Sceptile before. _What? A Safeguard? So _that's _why Sceptile wasn't moving before!_ thought Paul as his smirk disappeared. "Flamethrower!" he yelled, desperate to stop Charizard's attack from hitting. However, as before, this attempt was in vain. Charizard delivered a devastating Take Down to Magmortar's upper torso.

"Great job, Charizard!" said Ash. "Now, Flamethrower!" While pulling up, Charizard shot a powerful burst of fire back down at its opponent's left side.

"Use Flamethrower as well!" Paul ordered. Magmortar responded to Charizard's attack in kind, countering with its own Flamethrower attack. However, the positioning of the two Pokemon favored Charizard; Ash's Pokemon could aim perfectly well, while Magmortar had trouble aiming slightly behind its own back. As a result, the attack coming from the air won out, scoring another hit for Charizard.

"Keep it up, Charizard!" said Ash encouragingly. "Come back for another Take Down!" Charizard suddenly swooped down for a fresh attack as Magmortar turned slowly to face it.

"Here it comes..." muttered Paul as Charizard zeroed in. When Charizard got close, Paul called, "Now use Thunderbolt!" Magmortar let out a powerful bolt of electricity, causing Charizard to roar in pain and crash into the ground a foot from its target. "Flamethrower!" Paul commanded. Magmortar blasted Charizard with another strong attack at point-blank range, sending its opponent crashing into the side of the stadium.

However, even this reversal left Ash unfazed. "Charizard, Take Down again!" he ordered. "And stay close to the ground!" Charizard got up and flew low, taking aim at Magmortar yet again.

"Perfect," said Paul quietly. "Intercept it with Rock Tomb!" he called. Several pillars of rock came out from the ground between the two battling Fire-types. They were definitely the right height to hit Chariziard, who was flying too fast to change direction...

"Steel Wing!" commanded Ash suddenly. Charizard changed its angle only a little bit, crashing its huge wings directly into several of the pillars. They shattered, showering Magmortar with rocks of every size.

Paul gritted his teeth angrily as his Pokemon vainly tried to block all the stones and pebbles peppering its body. "Don't take that lying down!" he screamed. "Use Thunderbolt!" Sparks flew around Magmortar's body, but yet again, Paul's Pokemon was not quick enough to launch its attack. Charizard's Steel Wing caught it squarely in the chest, throwing it across the stadium. "I'm waiting!" shouted Paul even louder than before.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" ordered Ash. The Flamethrower and Thunderbolt collided, producing another massive explosion. "Alright," said Ash, "use Dragonbreath and blow the smoke away while you do!" Charizard flapped its wings again, blowing away the remnants of this latest explosion and let out another cloud of green gas.

"Another Thunderbolt!" yelled Paul. Magmortar charged up another powerful Electric-type move, but neither it nor its trainer guessed the true speed of the Dragonbreath. The wind carried Charizard's attack straght into Magmortar before the Blast Pokemon could launch its own.

Seething, Paul called Magmortar back. If this match came down to a contest of power, there was no point in keeping Magmortar in it any longer; Charizard was just too strong. _That's one powerful Charizard_, he thought. _Maybe there's something to be said for Ash's team after all. But how will that Charizard do at a type disadvantage?_ Picking up another Pokeball and throwing it, he called, "Electivire, stand by for battle!" Electivire took Magmortar's place on the battlefield, eying Charizard with utmost confidence.

"Flamethrower, Charizard!" commanded Ash, wasting no time before starting out.

"Use Protect!" ordered Paul. Electivire brought its arms in close, forming a bubble that defended it against the incoming jet of fire.

"Keep up the pressure!" called Ash. "Dragonbreath!"

"Light Screen!" Paul commanded his Pokemon. As the Dragonbreath made its way toward Electivire, the Electric-type erected a shield of light which mitigated its effect.

"If they want to use Light Screen, we'll stick with physical attacks!" Ash instructed Charizard. "Take Down!" Charizard flew rapidly toward its adversary, ready to land a hit.

"Intercept it!" ordered Paul. Electivire extended its tails upwards, trying to stop Charizard's wings in mid-flap, but the clever Fire-type just pulled its wings in, avoided the tails, and carried out another successful Take Down. "Use Thunder!" Paul shouted furiously as Charizard flew away.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" called Ash. Both Pokemon got caught in the massive explosion that followed. Charizard was thrown high into the air, while Electivire blown into the middle of a seven-foot-wide crater. The seething Thunderbolt Pokemon shook the dust out of its thick fur, glaring up at its airborne opponent.

"Thunder again!" commanded Paul.

"Dodge it!" ordered Ash. Charizard evaded another powerful bolt of lightning as it dropped several feet, trying to get close enough for another attack.

"Giga Impact!" called Paul. Electivire became a blur as it shot upward, trying to do some serious damage to its opponent.

"Dodge again!" commanded Ash. Charizard flew out of the way, sidestepping Electivire's attack. "Now use Flamethrower!" Ash ordered.

"Protect!" shouted Paul. Electivire shielded itself again as it fell, blocking its adversary's attack but landing hard.

"Now, Charizard," said Ash, "give it another Take Down!"

"Use Thunder to intercept it!" called Paul.

Ash watched, horrified, as Charizard flew closer and closer, heading right for the surge of electrical energy... he had only one idea for damage control, but none of his Pokemon had ever tried it before... "Charizard, Steel Wing on the ground!" called Ash, making up his mind. Charizard practically crash-landed in its effort to pull off this tactic. Just in time, it wedged its right wing into the stadium floor, siphoning the electricity harmlessly into the ground.

"Keep up the Thunder!" commanded Paul.

"Wait it out!" ordered Ash. He watched anxiously as Electivire continued to send a seemingly endless wave of energy at Charizard, who was grounded as it weathrered the assault. _I've just got to hope Charizard won't get hurt too bad, _thought Ash, _but what can I do right now? I can't see anything... and what's happening with the ground?_ Sure enough, the patch of floor where Charizard's wing was embedded was starting to turn black, accompanied by a burning smell. _Wait_, said Ash, _that's it! Charizard's Fire-type attacks are probably a lot more powerful now!_ "Okay, Charizard," he called, "give it a full-power Flamethrower!" An ultra-powerful attack, given extra strength from the electricity coursing through its body, escaped the Flame Pokemon's jaws. It scored a direct hit on the unsuspecting Electivire, packing so much punch that it shattered Electivire's protective Light Screen, and the Thunderbolt Pokemon's cries of pain could be heard even over the loudly roaring fire surrounding it. Finally, Charizard broke off the attack, leaving its adversary clearly burned.

Paul was furious at this turn of events; Charizard had landed relatively few hits, it was already weakened from battling Magmortar, it had a type disadvantage, and still, this Charizard, belonging to Ash of all people, was winning against his own carefully trained Electivire! "Use Giga Impact!" he screamed angrily at his injured Pokemon, spit flying from the corners of his mouth. Again, Electivire shot toward Charizard like a bullet, going all out to deal damage.

"Charizard," directed Ash, "you'll have to take this attack and grab onto Electivire." In its surprise, Charizard took an eye off its opponent to look quizzically at its trainer. "Trust me," insisted Ash, "do that and we win!" Trusting Ash's judgment, Charizard returned its full attention to Electivire, who rammed right into the Fire-type a split second later. It bear-hugged its adversary as it winced from pain, and the two powerful Pokemon tumbled over and over in aerial somersaults.

"YES!" cheered Ash. "Great job, Charizard! Now, Seismic Toss!" The Flame Pokemon carried its immobile, trapped opponent high into the air, and then started flying in circles. After picking up enough speed, it plummeted, gravity boosting its speed even more. Finally right above the ground, it threw Electivire down with all its might, only just making a soft landing itself.

"Electivire," threatened Paul, "you'd better get back up, _or else_!" Electivire struggled, reaching all fours as it tried to obey its trainer. However, that was as far as the Electric-type got; after trying fruitlessly to stand upright, it fell flat onto its stomach. Paul's fists clenched angrily.

"Electivire is unable to battle!" the referee announced amid deafening cheers. "Charizard is the winner!"

"Yes!" said Ash, pumping a fist in the air. "Charizard, you're doing awesome today! See, Paul?" he shouted across the field. "You're not the only one with powerful Pokemon. Maybe you need some new Pokemon if you want to beat my Charizard!"

"Hmph," said Paul quietly as he put his fallen Electivire back in its Pokeball. "He might have won this round, but he's _still _pathetic. If he relies that much on Charizard, I'll teach him a lesson he'll never forget."

* * *

**Author's Note: Another chapter done! As you can see from the speed of this update, I'm really picking up the pace of my writing. The next chapter should be up in about the same time as it took to this one.**

**Also, I'd like to respond to a very long review on my last chapter. Pratik Roy, thanks very much for taking the time to write it! Since you did, I most certainly took the time to read it. I'm glad you like this story so much; I'm giving it everything I have! Keep reading; I won't disappoint you with the ending!**

**So Paul meets Ash's power team for the first time. Even though he's impressed with Ash's Charizard and one Pokemon down, he still has disdain for Ash's general strategy. He's also correctly guessed the two Pokemon Ash hasn't used yet. What will be his next move, and how will deal with it?**


	29. The Burnout

Chapter 29: The Burnout

Paul threw his next Pokeball, calling out, "Gliscor, stand by for battle!" The batlike Gliscor emerged, standing on its tail and raising its claws menacingly.

Ash looked nervously at Gliscor's claws. He remembered the only time before when he'd battled Paul's Gliscor before; Gliscor had won quickly with a Guillotine. _I don't want the same thing to happen to Charizard_, Ash thought. _Charizard can do a lot more good later than it can now._ Pulling out the Fire-type's Pokeball, he said, "Charizard, return!" With Charizard off the field, Ash had a decision to make; which Pokemon did he have that could beat Paul's Gliscor? Staraptor was down, while Pikachu, Sceptile, and Heracross would all be at a disadvantage. _That leaves Snorlax...and Snorlax knows Ice Punch!_ Ash suddenly realized. _That can make it really hard for Gliscor!_ "Snorlax, I choose you!" said Ash, calling out his heaviest Pokemon. Snorlax looked down at Gliscor as if it wanted to squash the much smaller, thinner Pokemon flat, but Gliscor's expression did not change.

"So I was right," said Paul to himself. "He _is_ using Snorlax."

"Okay, Snorlax," said Ash, "Body Slam!" Snorlax jumped right at its opponent, aiming to land right on Gliscor.

"Dodge and use X-Scissor!" commanded Paul. Gliscor glided away, evading the Body Slam, and came back in, aiming its own attack at its adversary's back.

"Protect!" ordered Ash. Snorlax brought its arms in close, and Gliscor's X-Scissor bounced off its bulky body. "Great, now another Body Slam!" called Ash.

"Poison Jab!" commanded Paul. Gliscor struck much faster than Snorlax, who had to turn around before attacking. The Poison Jab hit Snorlax on the side of its face, and Ash's Pokemon blundered backward. "Now, X-Scissor!" Paul ordered.

"Snorlax, use Protect again!" called Ash. Again, the Protect halted Gliscor's attack. The Ground-type bounced off again, this time right where Snorlax could see it. "Hyper Beam!" commanded Ash.

"Dodge and then X-Scissor!" ordered Paul. However, his Pokemon was not so lucky this time. Although the Hyper Beam missed Gliscor's slender torso, it hit the Fang Scorp Pokemon in the wing. Gliscor screamed in pain and crash-landed in front of its opponent. "Get up right now!" shouted Paul angrily. "Poison Jab on the double!" Gliscor complied, standing up on its tail as it pointed its claw straght upward, digging it into Snorlax's belly.

"Hang tough, Snorlax!" called Ash as his Pokemon grunted in pain. "Use Body Slam!"

"Get behind it!" commanded Paul. Yet again, Gliscor slipped away, getting behind its opponent as it jumped up for the Body Slam. "Sandstorm!" Paul ordered. His Pokemon spun around on the ground, stirring up a mass of swirling sands. Snorlax grimaced as the uncomfortable sands whipped its body.

"We can deal with this, Snorlax!" said Ash encouragingly. "Ice Punch!"

"Poison Jab!" called Paul smugly. Snorlax's attack hit thin air, while Gliscor did much better, striking Snorlax from an unlikely angle.

"What?" said Ash. "How did Gliscor get all the way over there? Snorlax, Hyper Beam!"

"X-Scissor!" commanded Paul, his smile widening. The Hyper Beam also missed, while Gliscor landed its X-Scissor right on the Normal-type's chest.

_Oh yeah!_ thought Ash. _That must be a Sand Veil! No wonder can Gliscor can move around so much without us noticing! But how can Snorlax get an opening to attack in this sandstorm?_

"X-Scissor again!" ordered Paul.

"We'll have to wait this out, Snorlax!" Ash told his Pokemon. "Whatever Gliscor does, keep using Protect!"

Paul grinned even more on hearing this order. "Use X-Scissor back-to-back!" he called to Gliscor. His Pokemon pounded Snorlax with attack after attack, while Snorlax didn't even move, shielding itself again and again. Finally, though, the tenacious Ground-type hit its adversary in the face, and it was clear that Snorlax's luck had run out. The rotund Normal-type staggered backward, grunting in pain.

"Quick, Snorlax, Hyper Beam!" yelled Ash. A yellow-orange beam of light hit Gliscor before it could dodge, sending it crashing into the opposite wall.

"Get back up and use X-Scissor!" shouted Paul. Panting, Gliscor got back up again and flew toward the immobile Snorlax. The attack hit Snorlax in the stomach, pushing it back several feet, and Gliscor flew behind it. "Now use Poison Jab!" Paul commanded.

Ash gritted his teeth as Gliscor swooped back, but then he smiled; the sandstorm was dying down. _This will make it a lot easier_, he thought. "Snorlax, Protect!" he ordered his Pokemon. As the bulky Normal-type defended itself yet again, the Poison Jab glanced off its head, and Gliscor moved to its opponent's front... "Now, Ice Punch!" called Ash. Snorlax swung its ice-covered fist into Gliscor's midsection, and the Ground-type landed in the dirt ten feet away. "Okay," said Ash, smiling at Paul's grinding teeth, "let's wrap this up with Body Slam!"

"Use Guillotine, and it had better hit!" shouted Paul in anger. As Snorlax came down, Gliscor tried to raise its claws. When Snorlax landed, a cloud of dust obscured everything. Both trainers waited nervously for it to clear, and what they eventually saw made Paul smile again and Ash's jaw drop in shock; Gliscor was standing on its tail, its right claw clamped around the neck of its unconscious opponent.

"Snorlax is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Gliscor is the winner!"

Ash recalled his fallen Snorlax, and looked at the Pokeball. "Thanks, Snorlax," he said. "You did great against that Gliscor. Now, just take a nice, long rest." Ash clipped the Pokeball, straining his mind in an attempt to figure out how to deal with Gliscor. _Now that Snorlax is out, who can I use? I don't want to risk losing Charizard... Pikachu's Electric attacks won't hurt Gliscor... Sceptile's weak against some of Gliscor's attacks... Heracross... Heracross might be my best bet. And it doesn't hurt that Gliscor already took a lot of damage._ Making up his mind, Ash threw his next Pokeball. "Heracross, I choose you!" Heracross materialized, ready to do battle again and giving its adversary a hard look.

"Sandstorm!" ordered Paul immediately. Gliscor spun around rapidly, whipping up another sandstorm.

"Heracross," said Ash, "Gliscor's gonna be difficult to see, so close your eyes and listen for it instead!"

As Heracross closed its eyes, Paul decided to go all out. "Now, Guillotine!" he called.

"Dodge it!" commanded Ash. Heracross flew up just as Gliscor moved in for the kill, and Paul's Pokemon only succeeded in burying its right claw in the ground. "Great, now Focus Punch!" Ash ordered. Heracross flew right back down with its fist raised. Gliscor could only free its right claw before taking the attack.

"Use X-Scissor!" ordered Paul.

"Dodge that too!" called Ash. Heracross jumped to the side just as Gliscor moved in again...

"Poison Jab!" commanded Paul. Using its tail to support its movement, Gliscor brought itself within striking distance again, hitting Ash's Pokemon in the gut with left claw. Heracross cried in pain, a sick look on its face.

_Oh no, Heracross is poisoned!_ Ash thought. _I need to finish this quickly!_ "Heracross, use Take Down!" he ordered. It did no good. Gliscor easily dodged, carried by the sandstorm.

"Now use X-Scissor!" called Paul. Gliscor hit its opponent in its unprotected back, and the Bug-type fell over onto its face. "Guillotine!" Paul commanded, trying to finish the battle a second time.

"Heracross, quick, roll over and block it!" yelled Ash. Heracross, hearing the urgency in its trainer's voice, complied, rolling onto its back and grabbing both of Gliscor's claws with its hands. "And now, Megahorn!" Ash ordered. Heracross jumped upward as fast as it could, beating its wings as soon as they were free. It jammed its large horn hard into its adversary's chest. Gliscor fell, visibly hurting, but managed to land as usual, supported by its tail. "I can't believe Gliscor's still up after taking that many hits," Ash said to himself. "Heracross, Focus Punch!" he called to his Pokemon.

"Use Poison Jab!" commanded Paul. Heracross came in for another attack, but Gliscor's Poison Jab hit first, sending the Bug-type back several feet. "Now fly up!" Paul ordered.

"Heracross, Take Down!" called Ash. Heracross flew after Gliscor, trying to land another hit before the poison did its work.

"X-Scissor!" Paul commanded. His Pokemon brought both its claws into its opponent's chest, sending Heracross crashing into the ground again. "Now finish with Guillotine!" Paul ordered.

"Heracross, Megahorn!" shouted Ash. Heracross flew upward while Gliscor flew down. Heracross hit its opponent in the chest again, while Gliscor clamped its right claw around its adversary's throat. The two battling Pokemon fell to the ground together, the remains of their attacks still connecting.

"Both Gliscor and Heracross are unable to continue!" the referee said. "Since both trainers have lost three Pokemon, this match will take a ten-minute break!"

Ash put Heracross back in its Pokeball as Paul recalled Gliscor. "Thanks, Heracross," said Ash to the Pokeball in his hand. "You were really awesome today. You battled hard, and now you can take a good rest." He turned, his face not betraying any nerves, and walked into the locker room.

When Ash arrived, he saw the largest group of people yet waiting for him. Both his parents, May, Max, Misty, Brock, Dawn, and Professor Oak were all there. "So guys... what did you think so far?" he asked.

The whole room erupted into praise for Ash.

"Very impressive!" said Professor Oak.

"You made me proud again!" said Delia.

"Amazing!" said Dawn.

"You're showing that jerk!" said Misty.

"You're awesome!" said Max.

"You're at the top of your game!" said Brock.

"Good going!" said May.

"You're battling better than I could have, even at the height of my career," said Norman.

Ash's mouth dropped open at this last answer. He looked at his father in disbelief. "Wha... really?" he asked. "You're not just saying that?"

"Of course not, son," said Norman. "You and Charizard especially make quite a team. If I'd been commanding your Charizard instead in this battle, it would've lost in all likelihood."

"Wow..."

"Still, Ash, you can't get too caught up in doing so well," warned Brock. "Remember, you and Paul _both_ have the same number of Pokemon left."

"And we all know how strong Paul's Pokemon are," put in Dawn.

"Yeah, I know," said Ash. "I really didn't expect to lose Snorlax when I did."

"But keep up the good work!" said May encouragingly. "You can win this!"

"Yeah, that's right!" agreed Misty. "That Paul kid had better have a parachute, because he's going down!"

"Even so," said Brock, "you need to be extra careful right now. Remember how Paul made that big comeback against Brandon? You can expect him to have a counter-strategy for the rest of your team by the time you resume the match."

"Yeah..." said Ash pensively. "So maybe I should think of one for his team... let's see..." Ash thought, oblivious to everyone looking at him. "Okay," he said.

"So what'll you do when you get back on the field?" asked Max excitedly.

"I don't know yet," Ash admitted. "But I think I know which Pokemon he has left."

"So sure?" asked Professor Oak.

"Which ones?" said Norman.

"Well, we saw Magmortar already," said Ash. "And I'll bet the other two are Torterra and Ursaring."

"Why them?" inquired Dawn.

"Well," said Ash, "Torterra is Paul's best Pokemon, so you can bet that he saves it for battles like this. And I've been having a lot of trouble with Ursaring, so it would make sense for Paul to use it too."

"Are you sure?" asked Brock.

"Well... no," Ash conceded. "But it's my best guess."

"So does that mean you're ready?" asked Misty.

"Almost," Ash answered. "I just need to meet with my team. Just to give them another pep talk before picking this battle up." Ash walked to the side and called out all of his Pokemon. Staraptor, Heracross, and Snorlax all looked extremely battered, Charizard was bruised but standing tall, and Sceptile was still energetic, and wasting no showing it. "I know you're great, Sceptile," said Ash, "but can you just cool it for a minute? I need to talk to everyone." Ash waited for Sceptile to calm down before saying his piece. "You guys are doing really good so far. But still, we need to be really careful. At this point in the last match, Paul was behind and it looked like he was losing, but he won that battle anyway. Just keep your eyes on your opponents all the time, because one big surprise can mean big trouble for us. So if we all do that..." Ash paused for a deep breath, then continued, "Then there's no reason we can't win." The whole team cheered, and Ash returned them to their Pokeballs.

"Good luck, Ash!" said Delia, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yes," said Norman. "And whatever you do, don't get too worked up about the battle, however important it might seem. Remember, there are more important things than winning."

"Right," agreed Brock. "If you just put all of your effort into this battle, then you have nothing to be ashamed of, whether you win or lose."

Everyone wished Ash good luck, his family gave him hugs, and he walked back out o the arena to resume his battle.

Cheers erupted around the stadium as Ash again took his place on the battlefield. Ash paid them no notice, watching the locker room doors at the opposite end, where Paul was walking up to the field as well. Ash's rival looked unpleasant as ever.

"Both trainers are present!" said the referee. "Resume the match!"

_Hmm..._ thought Ash. _Who will I choose? I have Pikachu, Charizard, and Sceptile to pick from, and I'll bet Paul has Torterra, Magmortar, and Ursaring. I don't know if Pikachu can beat any one of those three. Sceptile can beat Torterra and Ursaring, but would lose to Magmortar. Charizard can beat all three...so that means..._ "Charizard, I choose you!" called Ash, sending his strongest Pokemon out again.

Paul's lips curled into a smile as he sent out his Pokemon. "Aggron, stand by for battle!" As Aggron emerged, it landed on the field with a loud thud, raising its arms menacingly.

"What?" said Ash to himself, puzzled. "So Paul didn't go with Ursaring after all. But he should know that Charizard can deal with Rock-types."

"Flash Cannon!" called Paul immediately, trying to seize the initiative.

"Fly up to dodge, Charizard!" yelled Ash, caught slightly off guard. The powerful burst of light hit the ground, but Charizard was already in the air.

"Now use Stone Edge!" commanded Paul. Aggron sent a barrage of sharp stones at its adversary.

"Dodge again!" ordered Ash. Charizard changed direction abruptly, avoiding the attack. "Now, strike back with Flamethrower!" Ash called up to his Pokemon. Charizard turned its jaws toward Aggron, releasing its attack for a clean hit.

"Another Stone Edge!" commanded Paul. Again, Aggron fired sharp stones at its opponent, and this time, it looked like they wouldn't miss.

"Steel Wing with a spin!" ordered Ash, smiling a little. Charizard spun around in the air, flying right into the storm of stones. The adapted attack cut Aggron's rocks into gravel.

"Flash Cannon," called Paul, "and aim for the head!"

"Charizard, look out!" shouted Ash. The majestic Fire-type evaded the Flash Cannon by swooping downward, landing on solid ground. "Great, now Flamethrower!" Ash commanded.

"Flash Cannon!" ordered Paul. The two attacks collided, producing a massive fireball which gave way to thick smoke.

"Okay, now blow the smoke away!" called Ash. Charizard flapped its giant wings, again clearing the air of smoke.

"Double-Edge!" commanded Paul before the smoke was fully clear. Barely straining itself against the wind, Aggron rushed forward, crashing right into the surprised Fire-type. Charizard was knocked into the air, and had to flap furiously to keep from hitting the ground hard. "Now, Screech!" Paul ordered. His Pokemon let out a surprisingly high-pitched sound; the crowd all covered their ears and screamed in discomfort, but it was nothing to what Ash and especially Charizard were feeling. Charizard was flailing its head around with a claw buried in each ear, desperately trying to block out the noise.

The dreadful sound finally stopped, and Charizard shook its head to clear away its temporary deafness. "You okay, Charizard?" asked Ash concernedly.

However, he had no time to listen to Charizard's reply. Paul immediately called, "Use Stone Edge!"

"Let's see another spinning Steel Wing!" Ash commanded. Charizard starting smashing the Stone Edge a second time, constantly moving toward its adversary...

"Keep it going, Aggron!" ordered Paul. His Pokemon complied. The sharp stones would not stop flying at Charizard, who had to keep spinning to block them.

_Hold on_, thought Ash. _This is only good for me, so why's Paul doing it? Eventually, the Steel Wing will hit Aggron._ "Keep spinning, Charizard!" he yelled encouragingly. "Work your way closer to Aggron!" Charizard kept fighting the Stone Edge with all its might, closing in on its opponent all the time. Ash's prediction came true in about a minute; Charizard swiped right across Aggron's body with its Steel Wing.

"Perfect," said Paul as he watched Aggron stumble and Charizard start to fly to its opponent's rear flank. "Grab its tail!" he called loudly. The powerful Rock-type did something that hardly anybody had expected; it stuck its arms out to its retreating opponent, gripping Charizard's tail with both arms. Ash's Pokemon felling flat on its face, unable to fly away.

"Charizard, lift Aggron into the air!" shouted Ash. Charizard beat its wings, trying to carry itself and its adversary away from the ground, where it would have the advantage; however, it was no good. Aggron's weight, being much greater than that of the Electivire Charizard had lifted easily earlier in the match, kept the two Pokemon firmly anchored to the ground.

"Stone Edge!" commanded Paul, smiling widely as he did so. The attack finally hit its mark; Charizard was powerless to avoid getting hit at point-blank range. The stones pummeled everything within ten feet mercilessly, throwing dust into the air. When it cleared, Charizard had stopped struggling.

"Charizard is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Aggron is the winner!"

"Oh, no!" cried Ash. "Charizard!"

"Ash Ketchum," said the referee, "please recall your Pokemon so that we may continue the match."

Coming to his senses, Ash put Charizard back into its Pokeball. "Thanks, Charizard," he said, holding back tears. "This isn't your fault, it's mine. I shouldn't have had you fight that match at all. You did a really amazing job as always. Now, you can take a nice, long rest." Ash replaced Charizard's Pokeball on his belt, deep in worry, feeling the tide of the battle turning against him. "What do I do now?" he asked himself. "Maybe Paul was right before. Maybe I was counting on Charizard a little too much. Aggron, Magmortar, Torterra... they're all really strong. How do I deal with them?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Another chapter done! Things have gotten a little crazy again both in and out of work, so I've had to stay up late to write it.**

**Special thanks to J.F.C., who reviewed most of the previous chapters and raised my review total over 100.**

**So Ash's strongest Pokemon, Charizard, has been defeated after Ash made a strategic mistake, putting Paul in the lead again. Now, it's down to Pikachu and Sceptile to beat Paul's three remaining Pokemon, all of whom are exceedingly tough opponents. Can Ash fight his way to victory?**


	30. The Bear Necessities

Chapter 30: The Bear Necessities

Ash stood in silence, weighing his options. If he wanted to stay in this match, he had to exercise close caution. He needed Pikachu in the battle to beat Magmortar, and Sceptile to beat Torterra, so he could not afford to lose either one. Still, the Pokemon in the arena right now was Aggron, who was standing on the field, gloating after its win over Charizard. _Okay_, thought Ash, _which one would be better?_

"Mr. Ketchum," the referee called, "have you selected your next Pokemon yet?"

"Um, yeah," said Ash, "just please give me a second." He looked down at Pikachu, who looked back with worry written on its face. "Okay, buddy," said Ash, "you'll have to go in now. Just be ready to switch out any time." Pikachu nodded. "Alright, Pikachu, you're up!" called Ash loudly enough for everyone to hear. Pikachu ran into the arena, sparks already flying from its cheeks.

"Use Screech!" commanded Paul. Aggron filled the stadium with its painfully high-pitched sound again; Pikachu, its hands over its large, sensitive ears, screamed in pain.

The sound stopped suddenly. "Alright, Pikachu," said Ash, "Thunderbolt!"

"Flash Cannon!" ordered Paul. The two attacks collided, and yet again, a haze of smoke covered the field. "Now, Screech again!" Paul called. Aggron let out another Screech, and though nobody could see Pikachu through the smoke or hear it over the noise, everybody could tell that it must be in severe anguish. Sure enough, the smoke cleared right after Aggron had stopped the attack, and the diminutive Electric-type still had its hands over its ears. "Stone Edge!" commanded Paul, pressing his initiative. Sharp rocks made their way rapidly toward Pikachu.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" shouted Ash. Just in time, his Pokemon jumped aside to avoid getting hit by the Stone Edge.

"Now use Double-Edge!" ordered Paul.

"Counter with Volt Tackle!" called Ash. Both Pokemon charged forward, Aggron with its head down, Pikachu wreathed in electricity. In the collision, the larger Pokemon won out, sending Pikachu flying backward. Ash's Pokemon landed on its feet, but it was breathing heavily. "Okay, Pikachu, switch out!" Ash directed, sensing that Aggron was doing better. Gratefully, Pikachu ran back to its trainer's side, and Ash called out his other standing Pokemon. "Sceptile, I choose you!" Undaunted by its bulky adversary, Sceptile did a victory pose on emerging.

"Use Stone Edge!" commanded Paul.

"Dodge it!" ordered Ash. Sceptile easily dodged the powerful attack, smirking widely as it did so.

"Now, Screech!" called Paul. The shrill noise filled the entire stadium again, and Sceptile tried in vain to block it out.

"Sceptile," screamed Ash over the noise, "just wait it out! You'll be fine!" At long last, the latest round of noise stopped, and Sceptile shook its head to restore its hearing. "Okay," said Ash, "now Leaf Storm!"

"Flash Cannon!" commanded Paul. The ball of light hit the incoming cyclone of leaves, dissipating the attack and closing in on Ash's Pokemon. Aggron covered its head to block the remains of the attack.

"Dodge the attack," ordered Ash, "and then use Brick Break!" The agile Grass-type avoided the Flash Cannon, running right up to its opponent and delivering a downward chop right to its head. "Now, Sceptile, Leaf Storm!" Ash called. Still at a close range, Sceptile launched another Leaf Storm, which hit Aggron in the torso and blasted it back several yards.

"Use Stone Edge!" commanded Paul. His Pokemon sent another barrage of rocks at his opponent's Pokemon.

"Sceptile, Quick Attack!" ordered Ash. Again, the Grass-type evaded the Stone Edge with relative ease, charging headlong into Aggron. However, Aggron's body was so tough that Sceptile bounced right off stumbling backwards while rubbing its head.

"Double-Edge!" called Paul. Aggron returned the favor, barreling into Sceptile with as much force as it could muster. Ash's Pokemon landed on its stomach twenty feet away. "Now use Flash Cannon!" commanded Paul. His Pokemon launched another ball of light at its prone adversary.

"Sceptile, quick," yelled Ash, "use Brick Break to send it back!" Jumping up to meet the attack heading toward it, Sceptile swung its hand into the Flash Cannon with all its might. The Steel-type attack hit its originator in the stomach. "Brick Break again!" Ash ordered.

"Double-Edge!" called Paul. Aggron, however, was too sluggish to pull this off. Sceptile just ducked to the side, swinging its arm into Aggron's face.

"Now give it your best Leaf Storm!" commanded Ash.

"Stone Edge now!" shouted Paul. Even before giving this order, Paul knew that Aggron could never launched the attack in time. The sharp stones had barely formed around the Rock-type's body when the Leaf Storm hit its mark. Aggron tried to remain standing, but fell to the ground with an earth-shaking crash, and made no move to get back up.

"Aggron is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Sceptile is the winner!"

Paul put Aggron back in its Pokeball, his face calm. _It doesn't really matter_, he thought. _Aggron might have lost, but Magmortar can weaken both Pikachu and Sceptile... and then my last Pokemon can finish them both off... with its new attack ready, neither of Ash's pathetic Pokemon will stand a chance..._ Smiling again at this thought, he threw his next Pokeball, calling, "Magmortar, stand by for battle!" Magmortar materialized on the field a second time, looking across the field at its opponent.

_I need to keep Pikachu from getting burned or poisoned_, Ash thought. _So I'll set up a Safeguard before switching._ "Sceptile, Safeguard!" commanded Ash. Sceptile stood still, taking on a blue-green glow.

"Use Flamethrower!" ordered Paul. Magmortar took full advantage of Sceptile setting up its defense, pointing both arms at Ash's Pokemon and releasing a jet of fire from each. Sceptile reeled backwards, hurt but still standing tall.

"Sceptile, return!" called Ash, putting his Pokemon back in its Pokeball. "Alright, Pikachu," he said to his best friend, "get in there and do your stuff!" Pikachu ran out to meet Magmortar, looking at its opponent determinedly. Pikachu had faced Magmortar once before in a battle; the small Electric-type had done poorly, having had to switch out because of a burn. However, with the Safeguard in place and hard training for months, the Electric Mouse was determined not to let that happen again. "Okay, buddy," said Ash, "start things off with Thunderbolt!"

"Use Thunderbolt as well!" commanded Paul. The two bolts of lightning met in the middle, and Pikachu's attack was clearly winning... however– "Switch to Flamethrower!" Paul ordered. Magmortar stopped fighting, aiming both its cannon-like arms under the incoming attack. Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit, but the powerful Fire-type paid it no notice. As both Paul and Magmortar had expected, the attack vanished quickly as the Flamethrower struck the surprised Electric Mouse full force.

"Hang in there, Pikachu!" shouted Ash encouragingly. "Use Quick Attack!" Pikachu raced toward its adversary, moving so fast that everyone saw it as a blur. It jumped at the last second to score a hit on Magmortar's head.

"Now, Flamethrower!" called Paul. Magmortar took aim at its fast-moving opponent, releasing a jet of fire that scored a glancing hit on Pikachu's back.

"Thunderbolt, full power!" Ash commanded. Before even landing, Pikachu struck back, landing a direct hit with a close-range Thunderbolt.

"Now use Rock Tomb!" ordered Paul after the electricity had stopped surging. With no warning, a pillar of stone grew out of the ground, knocking Pikachu into the air.

"Didn't you learn from what Charizard did, Paul?" shouted Ash across the field. "Pikachu, Iron Tail on the Rock Tomb as you come down!"

"Shatter the Rock Tomb with Thunderbolt!" called Paul. Just before Pikachu could fall far enough to smash the column of rock, Paul's Pokemon beat it to the punch. A powerful burst of electricity crushed the pillar, showering Pikachu with bits of rock and gravel. "As a matter of fact,", Paul said, responding to the shocked expression on Ash's face, "I _did_ learn from your Charizard. How do you like Magmortar's spin on Charizard's aggressive defense?"

Instead of answering, Ash gritted his teeth, shouting to Pikachu, "Thunderbolt!"

"Flamethrower!" commanded Paul. Fire and electricity collided, exploding to fill the arena with smoke. "Now," said Paul, "Rock Tomb until you score a hit!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt as a Counter Shield!" ordered Ash. Although nobody could see Pikachu, everyone could tell what a fight Pikachu was putting up, defending itself against the random attacks. The protective Thunderbolt was clearly audible, and twice, a loud crash was heard as a Rock Tomb splintered against the Counter Shield. Finally the smoke cleared, revealing several scattered pillars of stone and Pikachu inside its still-active Counter Shield...

"Use Smog!" called Paul loudly.

"Pikachu, aim your Thunderbolt right at Magmortar!" commanded Ash. Since the Thunderbolt was already formed by the time the Smog had started to billow from Magmortar's mouth, the two attacks met right by Magmortar. They exploded on contact, right in the Fire-type's face, shattering several nearby pillars of rock. "Now, Pikachu, follow up with Quick Attack!" Ash ordered. While its opponent was still recovering, the speedy Electric-type charged forward, scoring another direct hit on its much larger opponent.

"Use Rock Tomb!" called Paul. Another column of rock burst from the ground, throwing Ash's Pokemon into the air again.

Ash gritted his teeth, knowing what was next. _Magmortar's gonna smash the Rock Tomb again_, he thought. _Pikachu's got to dodge... wait, I've got it!_ "Get ready, Pikachu!" he warned his best friend.

"Thunderbolt on the Rock Tomb!" commanded Paul. Just like before, Magmortar hit the column with a bolt of electricity, shattering it and sending the pieces right at its small opponent...

"Quick Attack to get out of the way!" ordered Ash. Bounding off a particularly large chunk of stone, Pikachu sped right out of the line of fire, closing in on its already-nearby adversary at breakneck speed. "Now, Pikachu, turn that into a Volt Tackle!" Ash called.

Paul now gave a command that nobody could hear; before he'd even started speaking, Pikachu's attack had hit. The air around the two Pokemon filled with dust, which cleared in a second to reveal the result of Pikachu's combination; Magmortar was waist-deep in the ground, clearly unconscious.

"Magmortar is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Pikachu is the winner!"

"Great job, Pikachu!" shouted Ash joyously as his best friend jumped up and down on the field. "You see, Paul?" he added to his poker-faced opponent. "Even without Charizard in the fight, we're gonna win this!" He watched Paul put Magmortar back inside its Pokeball, and did some last-minute fine-tuning of his final strategy. _Pikachu really took a lot of damage. But at least I don't have to count on Pikachu to beat Torterra. If I just leave Pikachu in for a while, it can run circles around Torterra, do some damage, maybe paralyze it, and then Sceptile can finish the job. But it still won't be easy._

Across the field, Paul threw his last Pokeball sending his final Pokemon into the fray at long last. "Ursaring, stand by for battle!" Ursaring emerged from its Pokeball, and immediately spotted Pikachu, an opponent whom it had twice defeated. On seeing the diminutive Electric-type, its mouth twisted into a menacing, toothy grin.

Paul's choice of a Pokemon made Ash's jaw drop. "Wha... but where's Torterra?" said Ash to himself. "Why didn't Paul pick Torterra for this battle?" He looked at his best friend on the field, and remembered the times when Ursaring had caused so much trouble for his team. The two most unpleasant times were during the full battles between the two opponents. In both of them, the matchup between Ursaring and Pikachu was the most problematic for Ash. Although neither had a type advantage and Pikachu was definitely faster, Ursaring had been able to exploit the abilities that it and Pikachu had. Pikachu's ability was Static, which could paralyze an opponent on contact; Ursaring's ability was Guts, which made its physical attacks exponentially more powerful when paralyzed, poisoned, or burned. This had happened both times that Pikachu and Ursaring had faced each other, turning Ursaring into a juggernaut that could really hurt Ash's whole team. "Looks like we need a change of plans," said Ash quietly. "I can't risk putting Pikachu out there and paralyzing Ursaring, so I'll have to count on Sceptile all the way. Pikachu, switch out!" Ash called. The Electric Mouse ran back to its trainer's side, and Ash threw Sceptile's Pokeball to call it out again. "Sceptile, I choose you!" Sceptile came out, demonstrating its readiness to battle again by doing a victory dance. "Sceptile," said Ash, "can you cut it out right now? You can dance like that _after_ you win."

Paul laughed after Ash had said this. "What makes you so sure you'll beat me?" he shouted across the field, a smile on his face. "I didn't think even you would be _that_ pathetic."

"_This!_" shouted Ash defiantly. "Sceptile, Leaf Storm!"

"Block it with Hammer Arm!" ordered Paul. The Leaf Storm hit hard, but Ursaring crouched behind its muscular arms. Though it was impossible not to take some damage from the attack, Paul's Pokemon manage to cut down the impact considerably. "Hammer Arm again!" called Paul after Sceptile had stopped its attack. Ursaring charged forward, arms still raised.

"Brick Break!" commanded Ash. Sceptile ran forward to meet its opponent, chopping down onto Ursaring's left shoulder. At the same moment, the Hibernator Pokemon swung its massive fist into Sceptile's chest. Both battling Pokemon were thrown backwards. "Keep it up, Sceptile!" Ash enocouraged. "Quick Attack!" Recovering from the blow to its chest, the Forest Pokemon ran forward for a fresh attack.

"Block it!" ordered Paul. Ursaring's massive arms served served their defensive purpose once again. Instead of dodging, the powerful Normal-type shielded itself with its arms, stopping Sceptile in its tracks. "Now use Slash!" Paul called.

"Dodge it!" shouted Ash. Sceptile's superior speed did its work; it dodged to the right, avoiding a swipe from the claws on Urasring's right hand.

"Hammer Arm!" commanded Paul, undaunted. Ursaring swung its left fist into its adversary's head, sending it stumbling back several feet. "Now, Slash!" Paul ordered. The Hibernator Pokemon charged forward again, this time brandishing its large claws at the reeling Grass-type.

"Sceptile, Leaf Storm!" called Ash. The attack came just in time. Sceptile just barely managed to steady itself in time to launch it right into Ursaring's belly. Paul's Pokemon roared in pain and anger, but could not get any closer to its opponent. "Keep it up, Sceptile!" commanded Ash. "Brick Break!"

"Intercept it!" ordered Paul. As Sceptile moved in for another attack, Ursaring's hand closed around its slim wrist, halting it from hitting. "Perfect," said Paul quietly. "Now, Gunk Shot!" he called to his Pokemon. Holding its adversary close, Ursaring let a super-strong fountain of slime and garbage escape its mouth. Sceptile screamed in agony, flying backwards as soon as Ursaring released its arm, almost crashing into the wall. The Forest Pokemon doubled over, hands on its knees, willing itself to continue fighting.

"Sceptile, are you okay?" cried Ash in alarm. His Pokemon looked at him weakly, looking sick and low on strength. _This is really bad_, thought Ash, starting to sweat. _Sceptile looks like it's poisoned, and it's also running out of steam. I can't afford to lose Sceptile now, but I also need to wrap this up fast._ "Sceptile, hold on with everything you've got and use Brick Break!" he commanded. Doggedly, Sceptile ran forward again, arm raised.

"Slash!" ordered Paul.

"Sceptile, stop!" screamed Ash frantically. The Grass-type skidded to a halt, barely in time to avoid the claws flashing through the air where it would have been.

"Slash again!" called Paul, pressing the attack. Ursaring raised its other claw for the finishing blow...

"Sceptile, jump back and then use Leaf Storm!" commanded Ash. Dutifully, the ailing Forest Pokemon bounced backwards, then aimed its attack and fired.

"Use Hyper Beam!" ordered Paul. The two attacks met in midair. Slowly at first, then more quickly, leaves fell to the side as the yellow-orange beam of light started to win out. Soon, Sceptile was unable to sustain the attack, which died out completely.

"Get out of the way, Sceptile!" Ash yelled, desperate to get his Pokemon to safety. The Grass-type jumped back again, and the Hyper Beam missed by an inch. "Now, Quick Attack!" Ash called, trying to find an opening for an attack. Sceptile ran forward again.

"Intercept it!" commanded Paul calmly.

"Sceptile, knock it off!" yelled Ash, now starting to panic. Try as they might, Ash and Sceptile could not find any opportunity to move in for an attack. Moving within range of Ursaring's powerful arms would risk the Forest Pokemon fainting, and using a Leaf Storm had proved unsuccessful. Mercifully, Sceptile had managed to stop short at a safe distance again, but it was little comfort; it was only a matter of time before the poison took Sceptile out of the match.

"Use Slash back-to-back!" ordered Paul. Ursaring started making wild swipes at its fading opponent, and it was all Sceptile could do to duck and twist out of the way.

"Sceptile, get out of there!" yelled Ash frantically. His Pokemon turned tail, scampering away from the assault on all fours.

"Gunk Shot!" called Paul.

"Dodge it, quick!" shouted Ash. Sceptile rolled to the side, managing to evade a second mass of refuse aimed for its middle. _Don't tell me I'm sunk_, thought Ash, gritting his teeth and preparing for the worst. _I wish I could bring Pikachu into this battle, but I can't risk paralyzing Ursaring... _Suddenly, a reckless thought crossed Ash's mind. _It's really chancy, but I have to try it. It's probably my only chance to bag the win._ Steeling himself, Ash commanded his Pokemon, "Sceptile, get in close and use Safeguard!" The Forest Pokemon gave its trainer a perplexed look as a Hyper Beam narrowly missed it. "Come on, Sceptile!" Ash urged. "This is the only shot we have at winning!" Reluctantly, the poisoned Grass-type moved in, using the defensive move when it was right next to its muscular adversary.

"Use Hammer Arm!" ordered Paul. Ursaring swung its fist right into Sceptile's gut, sending it crashing into the side of the arena. Ash's Pokemon fell over, limp and unmoving.

"Sceptile is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Ursaring is the winner!"

Ash put Sceptile back inside its Pokeball, unsure if his plan had worked. He held the red and white ball up to his face. "Thanks, Sceptile," he said. "If Pikachu wins right now, it's because of what you just did. Now, you deserve a long rest." He turned to Pikachu. "Okay, buddy, let's see how this goes," he said. Pikachu ran back onto the battlefield, its face set, hoping to break its losing streak against Ursaring. "Okay, Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" called Ash. The attack struck with great force; Ursaring grimaced in pain but remained standing.

"Use Hammer Arm!" commanded Paul. Ursaring ran at its smaller opponent, fists raised threateningly.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" ordered Ash. Darting out of the way of Ursaring's massive fist, which hit the ground behind it, Pikachu rushed forward, hitting its opponent squarely in the temple.

"Now, Slash!" called Paul.

"Counter with Iron Tail!" commanded Ash. As Ursaring ducked down, swiping at Pikachu with its deadly-looking claws, the Electric Mouse flipped over in the air, blocking with its tail and engaging Paul's last Pokemon in a contest of strength. To no one's surprise, Ursaring started to win out. "Let Ursaring flip you over," Ash said, "and use that for another Iron Tail!" The small Electric-type relaxed, flipped over again, and landed a much stronger Iron Tail on top of Ursaring's head. Suddenly, the Hibernator Pokemon glowed blue-green, puzzling most in the crowd.

"What?" shouted Paul in anger. "Did Sceptile just put its Safeguard on _Ursaring_? Hammer Arm!" he barked to his Pokemon.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" ordered Ash. Again, Pikachu dodged the attack and struck first, crashing into Ursaring's side.

"Use Gunk Shot!" called Paul, his annoyance still apparent.

"Quick, Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" commanded Ash. The two attacks collided, catching both Pikachu and Ursaring in the blast. "Okay, Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" Ash ordered.

"Use Slash to intercept!" called Paul. Ursaring's sharp claws could only graze Pikachu; the Electric-type was too fast to take a clean hit. The Volt Tackle hit home, and Ursaring glowed blue-green again...

"Now use Thunderbolt!" commanded Ash. Standing on its opponent's body, Pikachu launched its attack at full power. The blue-green glow surrounding Ursaring intensified, then suddenly shattered. Sparks flew around Ursaring; the Safeguard had been overwhelmed, and yet again, paralysis had activated Ursaring's trump card of an ability. _Not good!_ thought Ash.

"Hammer Arm, now!" ordered Paul, his smile returning.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack to get out of there!" shouted Ash, panic in his voice again. His Pokemon dodged the attack, its excellent speed and small size making it a much harder target to hit than Sceptile had been.

Paul, however, pressed his attack mericilessly. "Now, Gunk Shot!" he called.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack again to get away!" Ash yelled. The Electric Mouse slipped away again, avoiding the extra-powerful attack aimed at its back. "Okay," said Ash, thinking up a desperate plan, "keep using Quick Attack, but break it off if one of Ursaring's attacks gets to close. Whatever you do, _don't get hit!_" Using its burst of speed as a starting point, Pikachu ran around the field, almost faster than the eye could see.

"Ursaring, pay close attention to Pikachu before launching your attacks!" directed Paul. Both trainer and Pokemon kept their eyes on Ash's Pokemon, and sure enough, Pikachu closed in for an attack within seconds. "Hammer Arm!" Paul commanded. Ursaring punched downward with incredible power, but Ash's best friend was already retreating. Rocks flew into the air when the Hammer Arm hit the ground, but Pikachu demonstrated its prodigious agility again, dodging them all and moving in for another attack. "Hammer Arm again!" Paul ordered. The Hibernator Pokemon attacked again, but Pikachu slipped to the side before Ursaring's fist had moved below its chest. Changing direction with some difficulty, the Electric Mouse charged forward again. "Slash, on your right!" called Paul. This time, however, Pikachu did not stop running forward. Sidestepping its adversary's arm, Ash's Pokemon scored a hit. Swerving around constantly, Pikachu hit the enraged Ursaring three more times, while the bearlike Pokemon blundered around, trying in vain to hit its super-fast opponent. After the fourth successive Quick Attack hit, however, Pikachu ran away, breathing heavily, looking like it was about to collapse.

_Pikachu's really getting tired_, thought Ash, gritting his teeth. _I've got to try to finish this match right now._ "Pikachu," he commanded, "go in for a Volt Tackle!" Glowing with electricity, fighting the burning feeling inside its exhausted lungs, Pikachu charged forward again.

"Intercept with Slash!" ordered Paul. "And don't you dare miss!" he added threateningly.

"Thunderbolt Counter Shield as you go in!" called Ash. Just before Pikachu moved within range of Ursaring's claws, several volts from the Counter Shield hit the Hibernator Pokemon in the face. Grunting in shock, Paul's Pokemon raised its claws to shield its face... and felt the full force of the Volt Tackle connecting with its chest. Ursaring fell over on its back, putting its hands on the ground, struggling to stand up again. It tried standing up for five seconds... ten seconds... fifteen seconds... and then its arms gave out. Ursaring fell to the ground again, staying perfectly still.

"Ursaring is unable to battle!" shouted the referee, barely making himself heard over the roar of cheers for the victorious underdog. "Pikachu is the winner! And the winner of this match is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"YES!" Ash shouted, not hiding his euphoria. "We did it, Pikachu! We won! We beat Paul!" He sprinted onto the field, catching his equally jubilant best friend in his arms. Next second, the two of them were in the middle of an enormous group hug. All of Ash's family and close friends were embracing him so hard, he could barely breathe. Norman and Delia were both shouting how proud they were of their son, Brock was clapping him on the back, Misty, May, and Dawn were all crying in utter happiness, Max was trying to climb onto Ash's shoulders, and Professor Oak was attempting to make sure that Ash and Pikachu had enough air.

Like a giant tidal wave, the crowd got to its feet to give the match's winner a standing ovation, chanting "Ash! Ash! Ash!"

Paul recalled Ursaring, at a complete loss for what to say or do. He could care less about the crowd of people cheering for his victorious opponent, or about Roger, who was exiting the stadium without a backward glance; a Pokemon battle was not a popularity contest. Still, he couldn't help wondering _how_, exactly, Ash just defeated him after Paul had dominated their rivalry for over a year. Charizard, Sceptile, and Heracross were all stronger than he'd expected, and certainly much stronger than any of the Pokemon Ash had caught in Sinnoh, but Paul's own Pokemon had had the benefit of superior training. _I have to admit,_ the dark-haired trainer thought, _he has some powerful Pokemon after all... but I still should have won._ Paul exited the stadium, still not making any sense of his situation.

"Alright," said Ash after the group hug was finally over, "let's go out and celebrate!"

Everyone shouted affirmatives, and Brock and Norman carried Ash and Pikachu off the field on their shoulders.

* * *

**Author's Note: Alright! Finished with the final chapter of Ash's battle with Paul! With everything going on (I'm getting over a cold, cops prowling all over my neighborhood, etc.), I'm lucky to have this chapter done right now. It took lots of willpower to finish it when I did.**

**So Ash has beaten his rival at long last, leaving Ash happier than ever and Paul trying to understand why he lost. What is next for these two rivals?**

**Also, I just realized that Staraptor got gipped in three battles, so I'll try to give Staraptor a good battle before the end of the story.**


	31. Broken Grass

Chapter 31: Broken Grass

In honor of the occasion, everyone had eaten out. Although Dawn, Delia, Norman, and Brock had opted to celebrate in a high-end restaurant, the other five had voted them down. Ash, May, and Misty had balked at the small portions served in such fancy dining establishments, Max hated dressing up, and Professor Oak had simply thought that Ash should be able to pick the venue of his celebration. Thus, after dropping all his Pokemon off at the Pokemon Center (except Pikachu, who had stubbornly refused to go until after the celebration was over), they all went to... North Square Diner, which served no high-class food, had no cloth napkins, and did not even offer discounts to Champions' League competitors— but which sported an all-you-can-eat buffet that night.

"Yes!" said Ash. "Nothing to top off a really good day like a really good meal!"

"You got that right!" said Misty.

"But Ash dear," asked Delia uncertainly, "you really didn't want to celebrate somewhere a little nicer?"

"Come on," Max burst out, "what kind of fun is that? Eating with a bunch of snobs..." He quailed under a slightly sharp look from his father. "Uh... sorry... I mean... like a bunch of people who look they're at some stupid work party—"

"And what's wrong with that?" demanded Dawn. "Personally, I _like_ looking my best at a special occasion. I wouldn't have complained about changing into my nicest dress to eat. It makes me feel like I have high style."

"But would you mind having the puny little meals those restaurants serve?" asked May skeptically. "I like being classy too, but I like a full stomach better."

"Yeah," agreed Ash. "We'd all just be hungry again as soon as we got back! Because Pikachu could eat six of those fancy meals by itself, no sweat. As Paul would say, 'They're pathetic!'" he finished, doing his best impression of his recent opponent for the last two words.

May and Max laughed loudly, but Misty punched Ash squarely in the back of the head and scolded, "Ash, don't you _dare_ quote that Paul jerk ever again!"

"Sorry, Misty," said Ash sheepishly. "I forgot that you wouldn't like that joke."

"But if you had to have lots of food," said Brock as the group turned into the hotel, "wouldn't it have been easier for me to make it for you? We could have had both quality _and_ quantity, and you wouldn't have even had to spend money on it."

"Oh, come on, Brock," said Ash, "I know you can cook better than any chef in a restaurant. But you should have _all_ the fun with the rest of us, not do the cooking and the dishes—"

"Ash!" called someone from across the lobby.

"What?" said Ash, not recognizing the voice. "Who's that?"

"Ash!" said the voice again.

Ash looked around for the speaker. His jaw dropped when he saw that it was... Paul, a great deal more respect showing on his face and in his voice than he had ever afforded Ash. "Hey, Paul," said Ash cautiously. "What's up?"

"I've been waiting for you to come back," said Paul. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About your Pokemon. I've seen you so much around the weak team you had in Sinnoh, I didn't realize you had any much stronger ones. But aside from your Staraptor, all your Pokemon had such power..."

"Wow. Thanks, Paul."

"No, I mean it. Gliscor beat your Snorlax, but that battle could have easily gone the other way. Sceptile and Heracross and Charizard battled impressively too... especially Charizard. I don't like to admit this, but that Charizard is more powerful than _any_ of my Pokemon. If you'd used Charizard more wisely, it could have defeated half my team."

"Oh... well..." said Ash awkwardly, seeing Misty's fists clench tightly out of the corner of his eye.

"So why are you sticking with the weak ones?" asked Paul.

"Huh?"

"If you have Pokemon like Charizard and Snorlax, why bother with, say, your Infernape? You probably could have gotten into a previous Champions' League."

Ash wanted to retort that Infernape had been an important part of his third round victory, but seeing a warning look from Norman, he instead answered with a question. "Paul, out of all the Pokemon I used against you today, how many do you think were strong right when I got them?"

"That's easy. Apart from Staraptor, I'd say all of them."

"Wrong," said Ash firmly. "The only ones that that were always strong were Snorlax and Heracross. When I started training, Pikachu wasn't weak for a Pokemon without a lot of battles under its belt, but it wasn't super-strong either. You wouldn't have trained Pikachu if you'd found it like that. Sceptile... I caught Sceptile as a Treecko. Back then, it didn't even know any Grass-type attacks. And Charizard... even you're saying Charizard's got power now, but its first trainer didn't think so. Charizard's first trainer abandoned it as a Charmander because he thought it was 'too weak.' You see? You don't train any Pokemon that doesn't beat up all the other Pokemon around it, but I just beat you with a bunch of Pokemon that someone like you would just give up on."

Paul thought for a long time about this, one foot tapping on the floor and a hand on his chin. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry, but I find that hard to believe."

"Why?" asked Ash.

"A couple of reasons. One, I know what made _me_ a strong trainer. I cherry-pick the Pokemon I use to make sure I have the best of the best, and then I make them even better through hard training. Two, when I looked up you and your Pokemon, I noticed something very strange. I didn't pay it much attention when I was preparing for our battle, but now I think it can't be a coincidence."

"What are you talking about?"

"You have a few Pokemon you haven't used in battle for several years. Some sound decently strong too. I saw that you have a Pidgeot. Before it evolved, it almost beat a Rhydon at the Viridian City Gym, right?"

Ash nodded.

"And you have a Lapras. While still pretty young, didn't it win a swimming race against a strong Blastoise?"

"Uh-huh."

"And the last time you used your Primeape, it won the P1 Grand Prix, am I correct?"

"Yeah."

"So besides your Butterfree, which doesn't really have any big wins to its name, all of the Pokemon you didn't use for a long time were pretty good with power."

Ash racked his brains, trying to understand what his rival was telling him. "Paul," he finally asked, "what are you getting at?"

"My theory is that you released all four of them. Except for your Butterfree, all of them had some kind of power. Still, they couldn't compete with your other Pokemon, like Pikachu and Charizard."

"I still don't... wait a minute," said Ash, finally realizing what Paul meant. "Do you really think I trained the same way _you_ do?"

"Of course," said Paul. "It would explain why your earlier Pokemon can do so much better in a battle than your later ones. _And _why you would release four Pokemon in your first two years as a trainer, but none in the next four years."

"I had other reasons for releasing those Pokemon!" protested Ash. "I released Butterfree for its mating season; it found another Butterfree that it really liked! I let Pidgeot go so it could protect a group of wild Pidgey and Pidgeotto! And I only really _caught_ Lapras so I could help it find its family, so once we found them, of course I released Lapras. And I didn't give Primeape up. Primeape's in Pallet Town right now, waiting for its turn to fight in a battle."

"That still doesn't explain why the Pokemon you caught later got steadily weaker. I also know how your Charizard fell asleep during a Kanto League battle, and that kept you from getting to the full battle rounds. It kept disobeying and going its own way in battles, and then suddenly, it got more disciplined! I'd say you were about the same as me while Charizard was unruly, and you bribed Charizard into obedience by going soft. Then, you had to do the same with your other Pokemon."

"That just doesn't make sense, Paul!"

"Yes it does, which brings me to my third reason for trusting my theory."

"What?" asked Ash, dreading the answer.

"Reggie. I saw the same thing happen to my brother over time. He got a strong start in his training career. He got to semifinals of his first Pokemon League. But as he grew up, he got softer, and worse in battles and tournaments. He kept competing in Pokemon Leagues, but he couldn't repeat how well he did in that first one. Although he didn't completely wimp out until he lost to Brandon, anyone who looked closely enough at his training over that time could see how lazy he'd gotten. Still, nobody realized how weak he was until he fought Brandon. When he lost that battle... well, I guess that was just the last straw. That's the real reason he stopped battling if you ask me."

Ash's insides were burning with suppressed rage. How did Paul dare to state such crazy theories? Was he just being a sore loser? The nerve of him, thinking the Pokemon Ash had caught later in his career were just a bunch of weaklings... Before he could stop himself, he asked Paul, "Then how about another battle so I can prove I'm telling the truth?"

Paul's eyes widened in surprise. "Another battle?" he asked, puzzled. "How will that prove anything?"

"I won't use any of the Pokemon I used today," said Ash. "One-on-one, no substitutions. My Pokemon will be Infernape, since you always call it weak."

"I accept," said Paul. "We can schedule it at one of the arenas tomorrow morning."

"So what Pokemon will you use?"

"You'll see."

"But—"

"You never had to tell me you were using Infernape. You might not be pathetic like I thought, but you should still make more of an effort not to blab about something like that." With that, Paul walked away.

Ash opened his mouth to shout a retort, but May got in front of him. "Ash, just stop," she said. "You already let Paul get to you once. Don't go that way again."

"Yes," agreed Norman. "Remember, you just won. Paul's just being Paul."

"Yeah, you're right," said Ash. Looking his father in the eyes, he asked, "So how was that for self-control?"

"Okay," said Norman. "You did really well until he started talking about you releasing your Pokemon. If he wants to believe his half-baked theories, he's entitled to do so."

"Okay," said Ash. "I'm still getting used to taking wins over Paul instead of losses." He laughed, while Dawn and Brock gave weak smiles.

* * *

Ash got out of bed early on the following morning. He had a full day planned. First, he would meet with Paul to schedule their battle. After that, he would be spending several hours with his power Pokemon to celebrate their victory. In the evening, he would watch his father's battle; he was looking forward to seeing for the first time how his father would do against an Elite Four member.

After eating a quick breakfast before anyone else had come down to eat, Ash set out for the Pokemon Center to wait for his rival. He paid no heed to the cold January morning air as he walked, mind set on his newest task. Having avoided the usual morning traffic, he reached his destination quickly. Ash waited anxiously, wanting to schedule this battle as soon as possible.

After what seemed like forever, the door opened, and Paul walked through it. "Okay, Ash," said Paul immediately, "lets schedule this match."

"Just what I wanted to say," said Ash, trying to smile. He stopped, though, at the annoyed frown on his rival's face.

"I just want to get this over with," said Paul. "I don't really think Infernape can do anything to the Pokemon I picked out. I just want to get this match out of the way so I can get back to traveling."

"I just want to do this thing too, so stop complaining," said Ash.

Paul scowled, but held his tongue as he and Ash walked up to the Pokemon League stand, conveniently located in the Pokemon Center for the convenience of the competing trainers.

"Can I help you two?" the brown-haired young woman in the booth asked as the rivals made their way over.

"Yeah," said Ash. "we want to have a practice battle in one of the side arenas. Is there gonna be a free field in the next couple of days?"

"Hmm... I don't think so," said the woman, frowning slightly. "Let me check..." She checked the laptop in front of her. "No, we don't have any openings. In fact, we're completely booked for almost two weeks."

"No way!" exclaimed Ash.

"What?" said Paul.

"I'm sorry," said the woman, "but I can't schedule anything for a while. This is what usually happens during the closing rounds of the Champions' League. The Elite Four members who have already been eliminated from the tournament return to take on everyone who wants a battle. We have no shortage of aspiring trainers hoping for a recognition of their talents."

"So when's your next opening?" asked Paul, managing to keep his voice calm.

"On the 18th at eleven o'clock."

"Alright, I'll take it," said Ash.

Paul paused before answering. "Me too," he said grudgingly.

* * *

All in all, Ash felt that he could have much better timing for his upcoming battle. Ash would have to keep switching Pokemon so he would have the time to train Infernape. He would also have a semifinal match while preparing for the battle as well; he would have to divide his efforts between the semifinal and the battle with Paul, while Paul would have nothing to distract him from the battle with Ash and Infernape. Furthermore, the day of the match itself was inconvenient, especially if Ash was to lose in the semifinals. If so, he would only have a few hours between his battle with Paul and the battle for third prize. If he won, the timing would be little better, as he would be battling in the final the following day. However, this was his chance to brush away Paul's bizarre theory about his training history, and Ash would make the most of it.

Now, however, was not the time to dwell on his tight schedule or his unfinished business. After finalizing all the arrangements for the battle with Paul, he went straight to the counter of the Pokemon Center to see his victorious team. "Hi, Nurse Joy," he said. "How are my Pokemon doing?"

The pretty Pokemon nurse turned to Ash. "Hello," she said. "They're doing fine. I was worried about your Sceptile, but everyone's battle injuries are healing well. In fact, I think Pikachu and Heracross are completely healthy already."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," said Ash. "Can I see them?"

"Sure," said Nurse Joy. "I'll bring them out to you after one last checkup." She disappeared into the back room.

After a few minutes, Nurse Joy came back holding a Pokeball tray with Pikachu and the Pokeballs containing Ash's other Pokemon on top. "Okay," she said, "you're all set." She placed the tray on the counter.

"Thanks again," said Ash. "Hey, Pikachu," he said to his best friend. Pikachu smiled back, but I seemed strange to Ash; it didn't seem wide enough to fit the match Ash had just won. "What's wrong, buddy?" he asked. "What's the matter? Don't you want to celebrate?" Pikachu scratched its head, giving a little chuckle. "I thought so, pal," said Ash, giving his own wide grin. "Let's find a good spot to let everybody out!"

Ash walked through Goldenrod City confidently, feeling on top of the world again. Oblivious to Pikachu's pronounced quietness, Ash waved and said hello to the fans who now seemed to number in the millions.

* * *

Finally, though, Ash managed to shake off everyone else outside the city, in the patch of land where he and his Pokemon would go for training. Unclipping all five Pokeballs from his belt and grinning broadly, he shouted exuberantly, "Okay, everyone, come on out!" He threw the Pokeballs into the air, and the team that had helped Ash finally beat Paul all materialized. "Hey, guys," said Ash, "great battling yesterday! Seriously, you guys were amazing." Ignoring a warning from Pikachu, Ash continued, "Charizard, Heracross, nice effort at the start, and Pikachu, Sceptile, you two had a really awesome finish! Staraptor, Snorlax, you battled hard too—"

All of the sudden, however, Ash was cut off by a deafening, bitter scream. Everyone stepped back in shock as Sceptile, angrier than Paul had ever been during the previous day's battle, yelled and raised its fists, stomping toward its trainer.

"Sceptile, cut it out!" said Ash, now starting to panic, not comprehending Sceptile's behavior. "What's up with you?"

Seeing Sceptile step forward again and Ash take another step back, Charizard moved forward, bear-hugging Sceptile and pinning its arms to its sides.

"No, Charizard!" shouted Ash. "Give Sceptile a chance to talk!" Charizard released Sceptile, who staggered forward to face its trainer again, slightly winded. "Sceptile, why are you acting so crazy? We won, and I told you you did a good job!"

In answer, Sceptile ran over to a nearby tree and started pummeling it with Brick Break and Leaf Blade attacks.

"Wait..." said Ash, bewildered. "Sceptile... what are you doing?" He suddenly looked away, seeing something yellow tumbling in the air beside him. It was Pikachu, who had just performed a jump that looked strangely familiar... Then, as Sceptile started slashing the base of the tree with Leaf Blade after Leaf Blade, Pikachu ran right at Snorlax, stopped short, and threw its arms over its head, as if proctecting itself from a nearby bomb blast. "Wait a minute..." Ash came to a realization just as the tree that Sceptile was attacking fell to the ground with a crash. "Sceptile... are you upset about the way I had you fight the battle?"

Sceptile nodded, its expression hard as ever.

"Sorry, Sceptile," said Ash, "I know you like to get all the glory, but what you did was our only shot at pulling off a win. When I told you to use that Safeguard on Ursaring, you weren't in any shape to beat Ursaring yourself. The best chance was for you to do something to make it easier for Pikachu."

Sceptile punched the next tree in fury, shaking its head.

"Well, what did you want me to do?" shouted Ash, now very frustrated. "_There's no way you could've won that battle!_ Pikachu probably couldn't have won either without your Safeguard!"

Sceptile pointed at Ash, making a sharp accusation in Pokemon speech.

"Okay," Ash conceded, "maybe I thought you could win at the time. But I didn't know about Ursaring's Gunk Shot, and you didn't either!"

Sceptile's cheeks flushed in anger, but the tall Grass-type maintained its silence.

"Come on Sceptile, where's your teamwork?" asked Ash. "You can't always win every battle you want to by yourself. But it's not about whether you win or Pikachu wins or Charizard wins, it's about all of you winning! All of _us_ winning!"

Sceptile turned its back on its trainer and started to walk away from the others.

"Okay," said Ash. "If you need some time to yourself, that's fine. You can come back whenever you want."

* * *

"Now that we're all full," May was saying, "let's go watch Dad win his battle!"

"Yeah!" said Max. "Time to see Dad kick butt!"

Ash, who was staring into space, gave no answer.

"Hey, Ash, what's up?" asked Max. "Don't you want to see Dad win too?"

"Yeah... of course," said Ash, his voice soft and flat. He came to his senses abruptly and looked and May and Max. "Sorry I'm so out of it, guys," he said, "but... I think something's wrong. Sceptile's been gone way too long."

"Oh yeah," said May. "You had a fight with Sceptile today, right?"

"Yeah," Ash answered, "but I thought Sceptile would be back by now." He got up from his seat and started walking toward the revolving door.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked May and Max together.

"To look for Sceptile," said Ash.

* * *

In a wooded area not far for the city, two Pokemon were engaged in a fierce battle. An aphid-like Pokemon hanging in midair took aim, firing a Razor Leaf at its tall opponent. Correctly anticipating that the other Pokemon would dodge, it followed up immediately with a Psybeam.

However, neither attack could hit the agile Grass-type, who dodged expertly using the scattered trees. After evading both attacks, the larger Pokemon closed in, and the last thing Wormadam saw before being knocked out were the blade-like leaves hitting it in the face. Sceptile stared down at its defeated adversary, a pitiless smile on its face, and walked away with a new spring in its step.

* * *

**Author's Note: After another delay, Chapter 31 is finally here! I was having a little trouble writing it, because the part with Sceptile leaving was tricky.**

**So Ash and Paul will have a small rematch, and Sceptile is angry. Can Ash prepare for the battle and make up with Sceptile while getting ready for his semifinal match at the same time?**


	32. Betrayed, Bothered, and Bewildered

Chapter 32: Betrayed, Bothered, and Bewildered

As the sun crept over the horizon, a battle raged in the forest outside Goldenrod City. Two powerful Grass-types, one fast, scrawny, and bipedal, the other lumbering on all fours, attacked each other with abandon. As was usual for the taller, skinner Pokemon, its speed was proving decisive in the battle; its bulky opponent was extremely bruised with no way to turn the battle around. Additionally, the taller battler was fighting in its natural habitat, the forest, while its opponent normally preferred wide open spaces; thus, when the former made use of a tree to shield itself or dodge an attack, its opponent was left unable to account for its movements.

Sceptile came in for a fresh attack, landing a Brick Break right on its opponent's spine. Easily sidestepping a Petal Dance that came its way, it darted up into the trees. Sceptile was fighting this battle more savagely than it had ever fought a battle before; even its merciless defeat of a Wormadam the night before paled in comparison. It knew the species of its opponent: Meganium. It knew that this particular specimen had simply come into the forest for a taste of some of the Pecha Berries that grew there, and that it had never meant to fight anyone.

However, Sceptile could care less what Meganium wanted or didn't want. All that mattered was that Meganium had invaded its turf. Sceptile might have only been in the forest for one night, but from then on, nobody, human or Pokemon, would enter the forest without Sceptile's permission.

Still, there was something else that deepened Scpetile's contempt for Meganium. A female with a stubborn streak, this Meganium reminded Sceptile strongly of a certain Bayleef; Sceptile and Bayleef had once been in the possession of the same trainer. And this Bayleef had always regarded its trainer with a sickeningly sappy fondness.

Remembering this, Sceptile jumped down suddenly form its tree, hitting the surprised Meganium in the back.

Meganium screamed in pain and frustration, readying its powerful Outrage attack, the one with which it had defeated so many opponents back home.

But it was no good here. Sceptile, who was quicker, struck first with a close-range Leaf Storm; Meganium was thrown upward, hitting its head on a tree branch before landing on the ground again, out for the count.

Sceptile smiled roughly after its victory, and then its mind returned to its former trainer. With Ash, its life had certainly changed a great deal. When it had first met the black-haired boy, Sceptile had been a Treecko living in a forest a long way from where it was at the moment, whose social standing and battling ability had both been severely limited. After joining up with Ash, it had evolved twice, beaten several tough opponents, and competed in top tournaments.

However, now it certainly appeared that Sceptile was becoming too strong for Ash's liking. In the last battle where Sceptile had been under Ash's command, Ash had told the Grass-type to stop its prideful antics, not once, but twice... and then had come— Sceptile shuddered just thinking about it— the order that had crossed the line from distrust to outright betrayal: _Sceptile, get in close and use Safeguard!... Come on, Sceptile! This is the only shot we have at winning!_ And after that lofty promise of a win, it had just turned out that Ash had been playing favorites; he had obviously wanted Pikachu, his best friend, and not Sceptile, to win this very important battle.

For this reason, Sceptile was leaving Ash, going where it would get the respect it deserved: back to the trees. It would not be like the last time Sceptile had made its home in the woods. Sceptile was no longer a loner with no control over the goings-on near its home; it was the king of the forest.

* * *

_Why?_ thought Ash bitterly, replaying the events of the previous day in his head. _Why did this happen? Why now?_

This was the last thing Ash had expected to come out of defeating Paul. Always, when the hope of winning against his biggest rival ever had glimmered in his mind, Ash had envisioned that such a victory would instill a sense of completeness and a vindication of himself. Instead, Ash was fighting the grief that one of his Pokemon friends, with whom he shared so many memories, had left his team, probably for good.

Ash had spent the previous night searching for Sceptile. He had not watched his father win against Graham, believing his search to be more important. However, even with Heracross looking through the trees and Charizard and Staraptor looking down from the sky, Ash's endeavor had been fruitless. Sceptile was nowhere to be found.

And there was something else that made Ash feel even worse, if that was possible. Ash remembered his previous battle with Paul for the title of Sinnoh League Champion. Buizel and Magmortar had knocked each other out, and Brock had pointed out that Paul had ordered Magmortar to launch a desperado-style attack, sacrificing the powerful Fire-type to knock Buizel out as soon as possible. To Ash, the very idea of having a Pokemon go down in this manner was barbaric, as well as a serious breach of trust.

However, in his most recent battle with his long-time rival, Ash had sacrificed Sceptile in the same way that Paul had sacrificed Magmortar. He had sent his then-loyal Pokemon to be knocked out so Pikachu could strike the finishing blow. Ash had indeed beaten Paul at long last, but not by any honorable means, and now he had to live with the consequences: Sceptile was gone, and the guilt of what he had done was eating away at him.

Ash got up from his seat, crossing the hotel room to the door. He knew from experience that in a situation like his, doing something was better than doing nothing. Starting as soon as he reached the Pokemon Center, Ash would use the couple of days before his semifinal opponent would be announced to train Infernape. While it could not soothe all of Ash's emotional pain, it would provide him with a clear plan toward a familiar goal: another victory over his rival.

* * *

An hour later, Ash was walking up to his usual training ground. Although the day was bitter cold, Ash was only wearing a light jacket to keep himself warm. Set on training Infernape and burdened with the crushing weight of his guilt and pain, Ash could care less about his physical comfort. This battle was the last chance Ash had to prove the strength of his true self to Paul, and Ash would learn from his most painful mistakes to make the best of it.

Ash took a Pokeball off his belt and paused. He would have to be very careful with the way he would train. Maintaining a strong, trusting friendship was essential; Infernape had already tried to run away once, and Ash didn't think he could bear losing Infernape as he had lost Sceptile. Still, however, he had to train Infernape as hard as possible, as Ash had no idea which Pokemon Paul would use, but without a doubt, Paul's choice for the battle would be powerful and excellently trained. Pressing a button on the Pokeball, he called, "Infernape, come on out!"

The gangling Fire-type emerged from the Pokeball, yelling in jubilation as it did so. "Hey, Infernape," said Ash. "Looks like you're gonna get your wish. You're getting a one-on-one battle with one of Paul's Pokemon." Infernape raised its fists in the air, eager to take on its new challenge. "But if you're gonna fight this battle, you've got to understand that we have a lot of work to do. I know you hate losing to Paul's Pokemon. I know you want to win. If we both work really hard, we can pull it off, okay?"

Infernape noticed a change of tone in its trainer's voice. Gone was the air of brimming confidence manifesting itself in exuberance. But rather than the hard, cold attitude that Infernape had despised seeing in both Ash and Paul, it saw a patient determination. The monkey-like Pokemon looked back at its trainer, reflecting Ash's confidence. "Alright," said Ash, "let's get this show on the road!"

After speaking, Ash started his usual endurance-building run, but Infernape was a step ahead of its trainer. It had started before Ash had even finished talking to demonstrate its determination. Panting slightly, Ash sped up, trying to draw even with his eager Pokemon. _Boy,_ he thought, _Infernape must really be serious about winning this battle._ He finally managed to pull up beside Infernape, and slowed down to his normal speed. _Hmmm,_ thought Ash, _if Infernape really wants this, maybe I should make things more intense right off the bat..._ "Okay, Infernape, lets go faster!" he declared. Infernape gave a wild cry before accelerating, while its trainer did the same. Ash and Infernape kept their fast pace all throughout their 3-mile run, their legs aching, their lungs burning, but neither having any desire to stop or slow down. Finally, the end was in sight. "Alright, let's give it everything we've got for the last stretch!" called Ash. Trainer and Pokemon sprinted to the end of the course, now panting heavily. Upon finishing, they both collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

"Whew... Great... job... buddy," Ash managed, barely able to speak as he caught his breath. "Let's... rest... a little... while... before... going on." However, the cold ground made it impossible to rest for more than a few minutes. Although still sore from the strenuous run, Ash and Infernape got up quickly, hoping that a few hours of training would restore warmth to their shivering bodies.

"Okay," said Ash when the two of them were on their feet. "Here's our plan. You know how Paul likes to fight up close? How his Pokemon let their opponents get in close before attacking them, maybe holding them down before hitting them?" Infernape nodded, its mouth contorting into a frown and its fists clenching in anger as it remembered being trapped between two Rock Tombs produced by Paul's Magmortar, completely stuck and vulnerable to attacks. "Well," said Ash, "to beat Paul, you're gonna practice fighting up close too." Infernape let its jaw drop, surprised. "If Paul's Pokemon try to keep you from launching an attack," continued Ash, "they can't, because you can hit them anyway with your Flare Blitz. So let's beat Paul at his own game!" Infernape cheered loudly, the flames on its body getting larger. "Okay, Infernape," directed Ash, show me a Flare Blitz!" Infernape ran around in a circle, covered in a torrent of blue fire. "Great!" said Ash. "Now let's see your Mach Punch!" Infernape started throwing punches so fast that its fists broke the sound barrier. "Okay, now let's see a Dig!" Ash commanded. Infernape started digging holes all over the training ground, moving quickly, as if scrambling to avoid getting hit.

"Your moves are great, Infernape," said Ash, "but we'll see if we can train you up even better. We need to be ready for anything." Infernape gave a willful shout, and Ash called, "Okay, Infernape, show me just how powerful your Flare Blitz can be!" He watched his Pokemon in another impressive display of power, thinking. _Will this be enough? It feels like there's still something missing... but what is it? Or is it just that I can't get over Sceptile leaving?_ Ash watched Infernape complete its attack, and said, "Okay, now Mach Punch fast as you can!" Ash's mind wandered again, but he brought himself back to reality, shaking his head. _I can't space out now,_ he thought. _I need to help Infernape win this match, and I still have another battle in the Champions' League coming up. I know I hate losing Sceptile, but... I can't get hung up on this._

* * *

Paul moved around his room, cleaning up the mess that had appeared the previous day. He was completely unaccustomed to having his room in its present state. Normally, it was totally clean and neat as a pin... but not today. As if someone else entirely had used the room for a week, the bed was unmade, clothes were strewn all over the place, a couple drops of dried soda stuck to the bedside table, water covered the bathroom floor... the list of things to clean went on and on.

And Paul's movements seemed foreign to him as well. In contrast to his usual demeanor, calm and collected with a cold apathy to whatever anyone said or thought about him, anyone who would have seen him now would know immediately that something was bothering him. His hands shook as he refolded a stack of shirts that had ended up on the floor, and only the softness of the fabric kept him from making a loud noise as he placed one on his new pile. Finished with his task, Paul picked up the shirts and threw them hard into the drawer.

Looking around, Paul decided to tackle the bed next. His every footfall making the floor underneath him vibrate, he walked up to the bed gripped the free ends of his sheets and blankets. He pulled them up— so hard that he dislodged the opposite ends from his bedspread. Cursing and fuming, Paul doubled back to the foot of his bed to correct his mistake. As he stuffed the ends of the sheets back under the mattress, Paul's mind returned to the events of two nights before.

Before that, he had thought himself invincible, well on his way to scaling the Olympus of Pokemon battling. He had opened the tournament at full speed, winning a match that everyone else had expected him to lose. His mentor since the beginning of his training career had emailed him, urging him to play it safe against his famous opponent; Karen, Roger had said, could turn even a weak Pokemon into a force to be reckoned with. Paul had ignored Roger and gone all out; a weak Pokemon was a weak Pokemon, no matter how skilled its trainer was. The battle had been proof enough that Paul was right and Roger was wrong; Karen had managed a couple of nasty surprises which had downed Ursaring and Ninjask, but the sheer brute force of Paul's team had won the day.

Then, after knocking off a Frontier Brain from Orre, he had faced Brandon, who was practically as much a legend as a certain trio of Pokemon on his team. Paul well remembered the day when Reggie had lost to Brandon; that day had changed his life forever. His brother's reaction to losing had been... Paul didn't even want to think about it; it made him want to vomit. He would rather relive his own reaction to losing against Brandon years later, after building a stronger team than Reggie could ever dream of having, only to get crushed by the Pyramid King just like Reggie; it had been painful and trying, yes, but Paul, unlike Reggie, was indomitable; he had vowed to make the best of his pain and trials.

Still, Paul cursed himself for making a huge oversight in his former assessment of himself. However he tried to discredit this argument inside his own mind, he could not deny that a chance encounter with Ash just after the first round had been the decisive factor in the third. Or rather, a chance encounter with one of Ash's friends had been the linchpin. Misty, that hot-tempered redhead, had arrogantly challenged Paul to a battle to avenge the crushing defeat of her older sister. After the fifty seconds or so that Paul had taken to dispatch Misty, he had seen _his own weakness_ in the new Cerulean Gym Leader. Later, after the third round pairings had been announced, after the initial surge of intense anger Paul had felt at having to face his nemesis once again, he had remembered Misty. He had realized then, finally, that he could not let his emotions rule his battle with Brandon. He would have to beat Brandon the same way he would beat any other trainer, with hard work and deep battle strategies.

And only then had Roger's futile attempts to speak his mind about Paul's chances against Brandon seemed to lose credibility. Paul had never answered Roger's emails or calls while training for his match with Brandon. He had sneered at the messages from his teacher telling him to "stay in it for the long haul," as if Roger had expected him to lose. Roger didn't have to know or care if or how Paul was devising his strategy, let alone know what the strategy actually was. And not only had Paul defeated Brandon, but he had also gotten away with exhibiting blatant disrespect for the Pyramid King in front of the whole packed stadium.

His bed made, Paul made for the bathroom to take care of the floor. His face contorted in anger as he threw his bath towel on the floor to soak up the water, thinking bitterly about the time right after his third round victory. The victory had filled his head so much that even questioning his eventual triumph in the Champions' League had seemed ludicrous. The memory of Paul's ironically humbling encounter with Misty had given way to a general consensus that Paul would win, and Paul would be facing the "pathetic" Ash next. Roger had cornered Paul at the League Christmas party just to give words of warning, but Paul had had no trouble shrugging them off. He had put up of with Roger's dismal predictions too much throughout the tournament to take the warning seriously.

And then... practically in an instant, all of Paul's thoughts of winning the Champions' League had gone up in smoke. Ash, whom Paul had considered one of the weakest trainers ever to take part in a league tournament, had pulled out all the stops to score an upset victory. Of course, Paul had underestimated Ash, but to think that such a trainer was his better was maddening. Paul hadn't been this upset since his loss to Brandon. He was so riled up, he could just—

Suddenly, someone knocked on Paul's door, jerking him out of his bitter reverie. A second later, he heard his brother's voice. "Paul?"

The annoyance showing in his voice, Paul replied, "What is it?"

"Did you oversleep?" asked Reggie.

"No," said Paul curtly.

"It's okay if you did. I thought you might've wanted to start training by now, so I just thought I'd check on you."

"I'm just cleaning up a little in here."

"But the hotel staff will do that if you want to start training now."

"I like to order my own life the way _I_ want it, thanks."

Reggie laughed sadly. "Okay, then. Whenever you want to start, I'm ready to help."

Paul's hands balled into fists. "Stupid idiot," he muttered. Paul then tried to set his mind back to cleaning, but it was no good. There was no way he could bring himself to concentrate again on the work to be done around him, not after Reggie had interrupted him.

Paul crossed the room to a pile of DVDs on the floor in front of the television. Rummaging through them, he found his favorite movie to watch in times like this: that of a Champions' League battle that had taken place over a decade before. Inserting it into the player, he jumped onto his bed to watch it and selected his favorite chapter.

Immediately, an announcer started saying, "And a powerful defense wins again, with Roger's Blastoise scoring another victory. It seems obvious what Cynthia's final Pokemon will be, but will it just be one more notch on Blastoise's cannons?"

"Oh no, it won't," said Paul gloatingly.

The face of the future national champion, only a teenager in the video, showed a blazing determination with a hint of nerves as she threw her last Pokeball, prepared to make her final stand in the match. "Garchomp, battle dance!" she shouted as her strongest Pokemon emerged. Garchomp eyed Blastoise, its face expressionless.

"So here it is, folks!" said the announcer. "Now is the time for the last round of the match: Roger's Blastoise versus Cynthia's Garchomp! Will Blastoise keep its winning streak, or will Cynthia and her Garchomp prove too much to handle?"

"Use Dragon Claw!" commanded Cynthia.

"Blastoise, Withdraw!" ordered Roger.

"Looks like this battle will be the spitting image of the rest of the match!" said the announcer. "Cynthia is going on the attack, with Roger calmly defending! Who will come out on top in this clash of styles?"

Garchomp charged forward while its opponent retreated into its shell, and the Dragon-type hit Blastoise's shell with a Dragon Claw to each side. "Now use Rapid Spin!" called Roger. Still inside its shell, Blastoise spun around with dizzying speed, with the slightly sick-looking Garchomp still on top. Finally, Cynthia's Pokemon fell off, landing on its back several feet away. "Alright, Blizzard!" commanded Roger.

"Come on, Garchomp, Dig!" shouted Cynthia. In the nick of time, Garchomp escaped underground as a mass of ice and snow headed straight for it.

"And now we see that Cynthia can use defense too!" said the announcer. "Will tactics like these lead to Cynthia taking the cake?"

"You bet," said Paul, whose bad mood was ebbing away. He had watched this battle many times, but even so, Paul never really tired of see Garchomp and Blastoise in action. Roger had chastised him so many times for so many stupid reasons, but here he was, being humiliated by a complete newcomer to the Champions' League. His smile widened as Garchomp hit Blastoise squarely in the head with a Brick Break.

Then, Paul's mind returned to his own troubles, but he was able to spin them positively for the first time since Ash had defeated him. Ash had only beaten him with his very strongest Pokemon. The remainder of Ash's Pokemon were considerably weaker. Paul's own Pokemon, by contrast, were all worthy of a champion. And Paul would get a chance to redeem himself. He would exact a vengeance, small though it was, on Ash. The battle was coming up, and Paul would demonstrate beyond all doubt that his loss to Ash was a fluke. He had his winning Pokemon all picked out.

And as Paul smiled again, the Shellfish Pokemon on the TV screen collapsed in exhaustion. The referee announced, "Blastoise is unable to battle! Garchomp is the winner! And the winner of this match is Cynthia from Celestic Town!"

* * *

Quiter than usual but still surrounded by his family and friends, Ash paced around nervously, waiting to see his next opponent. That day, as with the day before, he had done very little except train with Infernape. Although he suspected that he would never fully put his falling out with Sceptile behind him, he was hoping to redeem himself by giving Infernape the win that it was craving so badly. Yet he still could not shake the feeling that he had forgotten to do something important.

As for his semifinal match, Ash had deep misgivings. He was not looking forward in the least to facing any of the three other semifinalists. Sabrina, leader of the Saffron City Gym, had been a tougher challenge than Ash had ever faced in any other gym, before or since. He had lost twice before winning his third match on a technicality, and whenever he had thought back to his time in Saffron City, never once did he think he could beat Sabrina in a fair fight. And there was Will of the Johto Elite Four, who had cruised to victory just before, defeating another runner-up in another regional league. Ash had never even beaten a single Pokemon belonging to an Elite Four member. And the other semifinalist was Norman, Ash's own father...

Hearing the voice of the announcer at last, Ash returned his attention to the display screen. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the semifinal pairings!" Pictures of the semifinalists zoomed around the screen before pairing off. Ash did not smile when they did. His father would face Sabrina, while Ash himself would be battling Will.

* * *

**Author's Note: Finally, I have another chapter for you guys! Again, sorry about the wait. I wasn't intending wait this long, but I was really busy with moving in with my dad, and helping my mom move into a new place. There's still more to do, but at least now the actual moving part is over, so I have time to write again.**

**So Ash and Paul are both dealing with some hard feelings, and Ash got word of his next opponent. Ash is training Infernape for its unofficial battle, but cannot get rid of his nagging doubts about his chances or his guilt and hurt about Sceptile. Paul, meanwhile, is incensed that Ash bested him in the quarterfinals. What will happen the next time these two butt heads, or in the time before they do?**


	33. All in the Mind

Chapter 33: All in the Mind

Ash sat in his room, trying to come up with a lineup to face Will. This process was taking much longer than it usually did. Not one, but two mental blocks were keeping Ash from putting a team together. His rift with Sceptile was still heavy on his mind, tormenting him. The other obstacle was the reality that in a few days, he would have his first official battle with a member of a regional Elite Four.

Together, these two demons made Ash's task as painful and elusive as trying to run through a brick wall. No matter which way Ash tried to tackle the problem, the solution seemed beyond his reach. He almost wished he'd have saved his power team for this match instead of using it against Paul; he felt like he needed his strongest battlers now to beat his most esteemed opponent yet. However, it was no good dwelling on his wish; with Sceptile gone, the power team would lose a great deal of its bite.

And even if Sceptile had stayed, there was no point in using his six strongest Pokemon a second time. Having researched his adversary using his new Christmas computer, Ash knew that Will had a degree in psychology, and his educational background had a pronounced impact on his methods of battle planning. Unlike the more conventional Psychic-type specialists, who would attempt to read the minds and moods of their opponents during the battles themselves and play their strategies by ear, Will preferred a more calculated approach; he would carefully analyze his opponents' statistics, deduce psychological weaknesses through study, and exploit them to great effect in the actual battles. And since Ash could rely heavily on powerful Pokemon after falling behind in matches, as when he had used Pikachu in the first round, Will would certainly teach himself thoroughly to counter the Pokemon most capable of engineering comebacks.

To Ash, then, trying for a win was about staying a step ahead of Will's thought processes. That meant that Charizard and Snorlax would both sit this battle out, as they would be far too obvious for Ash to choose as pinch-hitters. Pikachu would be in the lineup, however; it would perhaps put up the ruse that Ash would have a business-as-usual approach in the match. Heracross would serve the same function, as well as bringing its Psychic-killing Megahorn into the fray.

Also, Ash had not forgotten his promise to use every one of his Pokemon in a battle. However, he was having serious trouble picking out Pokemon who had yet to see action in the tournament. Thinking hard, he finally settled on Swellow. Ash had two reasons for this choice. Firstly, it would be unexpected; Swellow had no advantage over Psychic-types, and no moves with an unusual amount of power against Psychic-types. And secondly, Swellow was second to none in determination. Since Ash had met the Flying-type in Hoenn, he had known Swellow to win even when outclassed.

But that still left three spaces open, and Ash could not figure out a satisfactory way to fill them. Primeape and Infernape, both Fighting-types, would be no good, as Psychic-type attacks would rip them apart. Ash thought about using Gliscor, tempted by its strong X-Scissor, but finally decided against it, considering it an obvious choice as well.

Ash yawned, then looked at the clock on his computer. He gasped; it was nearly midnight. He had to put a team together fast, as he did not want to lose any training time the next day. Opening a handy program that was used to call regular phones, he typed in the number for Professor Oak's lab. He waited nervously before seeing an exhausted Tracey, wearing pajamas, appear on the screen.

"Ash, what's up?" asked Tracey. "Don't you know how late it is? Why couldn't you call me tomorrow morning?"

"Sorry, Tracey," said Ash. "I just need some help real bad right now."

"Is this about picking a team for your next battle?"

"Yeah. I'm battling Will from the Johto Elite Four."

Tracey's face became thoughtful. "So do you have any ideas?"

"Not much. My three Pokemon so far are Pikachu, Heracross, and Swellow. Pretty much, I'm trying to do something that Will can't predict... without him knowing that he can't predict it."

"Umm... okay?... How about using Gliscor against Will?"

"But won't that be kind of... obvious?"

"How so?"

"I know Gliscor's X-Scissor would be good against Psychic-types, but... don't you think Will would see that kind of strategy ahead of time?"

Tracey sighed. "Ash, you're overthinking this."

"Come on, Tracey, I don't want to do something Will will just see right through," said Ash impatiently.

"But you _do_ want to use the advantages you have," countered Tracey. "What would happen if someone used some random Pokemon against your Charizard, and it turned out to be a Bug-type?"

"Okay, okay... I'll use Gliscor."

"And on the same note, you should use Croconaw too. Will might not be expecting you to use such a newly evolved Pokemon, but it also can use Bite."

"Okay... actually, no," said Ash, changing his mind suddenly. "Will might be really surprised if I use Kingler instead."

"Why Kingler instead of Croconaw?" asked Tracey.

"Because Kingler can dish out attacks and it won't be something Will can just predict. And I just think it's time for Kingler to get a battle too."

"Okay, Kingler it is," said Tracey skeptically. "And as for your sixth Pokemon—"

"It'll be Muk," said Ash. "Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Umm..."

"Come on, Tracey, Muk's probably one of the best Pokemon for this team! It's unexpected because it's a Poison-type, but it knows Shadow Punch, which can knock around Psychic-types! What do you say?"

"Well, Ash, I don't agree with some of your choices, but you're the boss," said Tracey resignedly. He yawned. "So you'll get your team together tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah. But I still have to train Infernape for a match too, so I'll be switching off a Pokemon every night to make time for that."

"Okay, Ash. Maybe we should both get some sleep before then so we can be up early."

"Sounds good. Talk to you later." Tracey's face vanished from the screen, and Ash got into bed. _I don't know if this team can really beat Will_, he thought. _I'll just see tomorrow if I'll be able to train them enough._

* * *

The next morning, after switching off his Pokemon for his chosen team, Ash paced in front of his Pokemon, letting them know what their next match would be like. "So we're gonna be battling Will from the Johto Elite Four. He's tougher than anyone we fought so far, but that's no reason we can't pull off another win. One thing he's good at is predicting people's next moves in a battle, so we'll all have to think a couple steps further ahead than we normally do." His team nodded. "Okay," Ash continued. "Let's start training!"

They started the training session in the usual way: by running. Ash kept an unusually close eye on his team as they ran, looking for any sign that any of his team would not be strong enough for the upcoming battle. However, any doubts he had were so far unfounded; although Ash picked up the pace of his run considerably, much like he had done with Infernape, everyone was able to keep up. Even after sprinting the final stretch, none of the Pokemon looked inordinately tired.

"Great job, guys," said Ash. "Now, let's have some sparring practice. Pikachu, you're with Heracross... and we'll have Kingler with Swellow... no, let's have Kingler with Muk, and Swellow with Gliscor." Even though this sudden change of mind left all the Pokemon confused, since Ash had never before changed his mind on sparring partners before the sparring had even begun, Ash had a reason for choosing sparring partners more carefully than he usually did. Ash wanted the matchups to be as even as possible for another test, to see if all of his chosen Pokemon were up to the challenge of battling Will. However, again, they all passed the test; after several minutes of battling, not one Pokemon was close to defeat.

Likewise, Ash drilled everyone on their moves after calling a halt to the sparring matches. Again, he was anything but disappointed with his Pokemon; Pikachu's Quick Attack broke its previous record for speed, Heracross' Megahorn broke a large oak tree in half, Kingler's Crabhammer made the ground shake, and Swellow's new Steel Wing had the force of a hammer blow. Much like his power team had done with Paul, his new team was training with all seriousness in the hope of prevailing against an Elite Four member for the first time.

_Wow,_ thought Ash. _I guess is the best team to battle Will after all._ He started smiling, but then, his face suddenly fell as he remembered another one of his Pokemon, who would have probably trained harder than anyone in a situation like this, with so much glory to be won. He shook his head, trying to dispel the thought. _I can't think about Sceptile now_, Ash thought, _or what happened. I need to keep my eye on the ball right now._

* * *

An Ambipom, purple and monkey-like with two prehensile tails, fell to the forest floor, knocked out cold. Its victorious opponent, a Sceptile, remained perched on a high tree branch, sighing with boredom. It had been over a week since Sceptile had proclaimed itself "King of the Forest," trouncing some of its strongest new neighbors in battles.

However, the thrills that Sceptile had experienced during battles were ebbing fast. Sceptile loved nothing more than defeating an opponent in a match— provided that it was a strong opponent. In the first couple of days, Sceptile's opponent's were indeed formidable adversaries; still, the tall Grass-type proved that it was more powerful than any of them. Now, it looked like the strongest fighters were avoiding battles with Sceptile, which was probably smart for them, but extremely irksome for Sceptile. Presently, the only battles that Sceptile was fighting were with Pokemon who were both very weak and very foolish, and the Ambipom that lay unconscious thirty feet below was the least challenging adversary yet.

This was not what Sceptile had had in mind for its reign in the woods. At least under Ash, there had been no shortage of battles against much more capable opponents. Sceptile punched the tree trunk in anger just thinking about this. Even though opportunities for impressive battling had come frequently under Ash, the Grass-type could not bring itself to seek out its former trainer. Ash, it seemed, had just become too restricting of Sceptile's growing power.

Still, Sceptile needed a trainer, it felt, to be able to try its tremendous strength to its satisfaction. However, finding a new trainer would be much harder than it would have been a month and a half ago, when dozens of top-class trainers had been all over the wilderness around Goldenrod City, preparing for their respective matches. Now, with so many of them gone, a replacement for Ash would be much harder to find.

Sceptile heard yet another scream of battle-readiness, and turned in the direction of the sound. It saw a green Pokemon, about half as tall as itself and sporting a lily pad on its head, raising its fists menacingly. Sceptile didn't dare turn down a challenge, but this Lombre definitely wasn't the kind of opponent that Sceptile was seeking. Spitting in anger, the Pokemon in the trees jumped down to fight again.

* * *

It was dark outside, and almost time for dinner. Ash and his Pokemon had trained for four grueling days for his match with Will. His nerves were always in the back of his mind, but they were tempered with a never-say-die attitude about the upcoming battle. His sense was that if any team he could have picked could defeat Will, it was the team he had chosen. His mood improved as he moved from Pokemon to Pokemon, checking their moves to judge their readiness to be used against his esteemed opponent.

"Great job, Muk!" he said in praise as the Sludge Pokemon shattered a boulder with its Shadow Punch. "You're all set!" Ash walked over to Heracross, whose weight shifted from foot to foot as it held a fighting stance. "Now, Heracross," he said, "show me a Megahorn!" Heracross charged into a nearby tree, its horn putting an enormous dent in the trunk. "Alright, now Take Down!" directed Ash. Ash smiled, waiting for the tree trunk to snap and fall over. What happened, however, was a different story. Heracross' body dipped lower than expected, hitting the base of the tree. The Bug-type tried to lift itself off the ground, but no sooner did it take its arms off the ground than it fell back down again.

"No! Heracross!" shouted Ash, running up to his Pokemon. "Is that another pulled muscle?" he asked in concern. Heracross nodded. "Okay," said Ash heavily. "Let's get you to the Pokemon Center." After putting everyone back in their Pokeballs, Ash started jogging back toward the city center.

* * *

"Nurse Joy!" cried Ash, panting slightly, as he burst through the doors of the Pokemon Center.

"Huh?" asked Nurse Joy, looking up from the counter. "Oh, hello, Ash. What's the matter?"

"It's Heracross again!" Ash put Heracross' Pokeball on the counter.

"Another pulled muscle?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do." Nurse Joy picked up the Pokeball on the counter and headed toward the back room.

"Wait!" called Ash. "Nurse Joy?"

Nurse Joy turned around. "Yes?"

"I know this might be hard, but... will Heracross be ready for my battle tomorrow?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"But—"

"Pulled muscles take several days to heal completely, as I told you last time. What you'll have to do is substitute another Pokemon. I can help you with that right now if you want. Which other Pokemon would you like to use instead?"

"Umm... is it okay if I make a phone call first?" asked Ash.

"Sure," answered Nurse Joy. "I'll just make sure your Heracross gets comfortable, and then I'll be right back out." She entered the back room.

Ash walked over to the video phone. _Why now?_ he thought ruefully. _Why does Heracross have to be out of action right now?_ He nervously dialed the number for Professor Oak's lab.

Tracey's face appeared on the view screen. "Hi, Ash," he said. "You want to exchange Infernape?"

"Maybe later," said Ash. "We've got something really important to deal with right now."

"Okay. What's up?"

"Heracross just got hurt while we were training."

"Is it okay?"

"Yeah, but it won't be able to fight in the battle with Will." Ash paused. "Do you have any ideas of what Pokemon I can use instead?"

"Well," answered Tracey, "I've been saying all along that Tyranitar would be a good choice. I'd say the same thing now. Tyranitar might be your best choice, considering that you'll be fighting a lot of Psychic-types."

"Come on, Tracey," protested Ash. "I know Tyranitar has a type advantage for this battle. But we both know that Tyranitar has no experience in trainer battles, and you want me to use it against an Elite Four member?"

"Yes. Now's a really good time to show everyone what Tyranitar's got."

"But..."

"Ash, remember what you told me about wanting some surprise Pokemon for this battle?"

"Yeah. But how would using a Dark-type be a surprise?"

"Using Tyranitar would be a surprise because you've never used Tyranitar before in a battle."

"So?"

"So Tyranitar won't show up in any databases! Think about it. Will won't be able to prepare for Tyranitar because there's no way for him to know that you _have_ Tyranitar! So Tyranitar has both a good type to use _and _surprise value!"

"But... but... I need a Pokemon who's been training really hard for this battle. How's Tyranitar been training lately?"

"Tyranitar has been training extra-hard all day, every day. I think Tyranitar's been hoping all along that it would see some action in this tournament, even if you haven't been giving Tyranitar much reason for that hope."

Ash paused again. Finally he asked, "Tracey, are you sure about this?"

"Why not?" countered Tracey. "Are you saying you have a better idea?"

"Well... okay," Ash conceded. "You can send Tyranitar over now. But that means Infernape's got to stay there tonight, because I need to check how Tyranitar's moves are."

"Alright, Ash," said Tracey happily. "I'll send Tyranitar right over."

* * *

The following day, Ash was doing his usual review of his team's moves, checking one last time that they were up to scratch. Everyone showed varying degrees of nervousness about the upcoming battle. Sparks would fly from Pikachu's cheeks periodically, while Gliscor was always striking harder than was necessary with a Steel Wing or X-Scissor. Muk had been alternating its generally consistent displays of affection toward Ash; one moment, it would be emotionally distant, and the next, it would nearly smother its trainer when jumping on top of him. Swellow had long since stopped showing off its speed, preferring to concentrate on perfecting its moves. Kingler would sometimes lash out blindly with its Crabhammer instead of letting the attack follow its eyes.

Tyranitar, meanwhile, was showing the least nerves out of everyone. In fact, it seemed inordinately happy at the prospect of this battle. Its moves were all crisp and strong, exactly what a trainer would hope for, especially when facing such stiff opposition.

Ash was impressed with Tyranitar's calm mindset and total dedication to the match. However, he still had misgivings about having a Pokemon with such little experience fight such an important battle. _Tyranitar looks like it'll do a good job after all_, thought Ash, himself somewhat nervous. _That Thunderpunch is so strong, it reminds me of Pikachu's electric attacks... and that Double-Edge could probably send Snorlax flying._ In spite of his doubts, Ash could not help but smile. Tracey might be right after all. Ash tried to imagine if he'd chosen one of his more obviously powerful Pokemon in Tyranitar's place: Charizard, or Snorlax, or Sceptile—

_Sceptile!_ Ash thought suddenly. His fists clenched involuntarily as he remembered his falling out with Sceptile yet again. _Come on_, he told himself sternly. _Don't do this. Even if you skip this battle, you won't be able to find Sceptile anyway. Sceptile just... doesn't want to be found, or it would have come back. Just focus on something you can do, like give Will a run for his money!_

Ash glanced at his watch. He had just under an hour to get to the stadium for his battle. "Hey, guys," he called to his Pokemon, "we should get going if we want to make it on time." His team gathered in front of him, all looking at him with set faces. "Alright," said Ash, "let's do this." After all the Pokemon except Pikachu were back inside their Pokeballs, Ash made for the stadium with usual, almost unnatural rigidity, with Pikachu walking in his wake.

* * *

Sceptile darted through the unfamiliar trees with no inkling of where it was going. All it wanted to do was get away from the forest where it had crowned itself king. Finally, a lull in battles with the most foolish challengers had allowed Sceptile to sneak away, making its getaway without losing face.

But what to do now? Should it try to find a trainer? Maybe. But it was imperative to find a trainer that would respect Sceptile's battling ability and give it the challenging battles it deserved. Should it try to find another forest with Pokemon with more battling ability? Maybe. But wild Pokemon of the same caliber as Sceptile were few and far between. Most likely, Sceptile would just end up battling weakings again.

All Sceptile knew was that it wanted to get away from the forest that it had briefly called home. Sceptile had already had it with fighting the boring matches with subpar Pokemon, while waiting in vain for a challenge from a stronger opponent. But still, to rejoin Ash's team after what Ash had done was just—

Suddenly, a loud thump sounded on a nearby tree, followed in a second and a half with a slight vibration in the ground. Sceptile turned its head in the direction of the sound, interested. Though it was obviously a difficult task to judge the strength of Pokemon without seeing them, Sceptile could tell by the sounds nearby that two very powerful Pokemon were engaged in some sort of battle. Then, after about thirty seconds, in indistinct male voice could be heard. _A trainer_, thought Sceptile. Its interest building, it walked quietly in the direction of the voice. The closer Sceptile got, the more familiar the voice sounded...

As soon Sceptile had ascended a small hill to get the trainer and Pokemon into view, it was blinded by a flash of red light. Blinking to regain its sight, the Grass-type saw the trainer to whom the voice belonged, and it was clear at once why the voice had rung a bell for Sceptile. It belonged to a teenage boy slightly older than Ash, with dark hair and a surly expression on his face.

Sceptile stood in indecision, looking at the boy. It knew that he was a strong trainer, who would doubtlessly give Sceptile plenty of opportunities for exciting battles, where Sceptile could prove itself once more. However, Sceptile was not without reservations. It knew that the boy could be scathing, abusive even, when his Pokemon failed him. It would be a risk to join this trainer; was it worth it?

Suddenly aware of the tall figure watching him from the top of the hill, Paul whipped around to face the powerful Grass-type. How long had he been watched? "What the..." Paul's voice trailed off, recognizing the Pokemon. "Are you seriously here to spy on me?"

Sceptile stood still, its head darting around, still not sure whether to stay or run.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hi, guys! Sorry again about the wait. For a chapter I've been planning for a very, very, VERY long time, the writing did not go smoothly at all. Of course, the stress at work didn't help, but that's another story.**

**So Tyranitar will see some action at last, so those of you who wanted Ash to battle with Tyranitar will be well-rewarded.**

**And behind Ash's back, Sceptile has a difficult decision to make...**


	34. A Cut Above

Chapter 34: A Cut Above

In the main stadium, the referee strained to make himself heard, even with speakers all around, over the screaming crowd. "This is a six-on-six full battle between Will of the Johto Elite Four and Ash of Pallet Town. It will continue until all six of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue, with no time limit. Both trainers may substitute Pokemon as desired. The trainer who gets the first attack will be randomly selected." The electronic roulette wheel on the scoreboard spun around, stopping on a red wedge; Ash would attack first. "Begin!" said the referee, raising both flags.

Ash took his time making his choice. Will was in a different category entirely than any trainer he'd ever beaten. He would have to choose a Pokemon that could win right off the bat, giving himself any early lead. Finally picking a Pokemon, Ash held the Pokeball in front of his face. _Okay, now's the time for us to show how far we've come with our training_, he thought. _I'm counting on you!_ He looked at his pensive opponent and threw the Pokeball, shouting, "Gliscor, I choose you!" The Fang Scorp Pokemon came out with a war cry, landing on its tail and raising its claws menacingly.

Will stared at Gliscor, his expression impassive and calculating. He threw a Pokeball of his own. "Jynx, ready yourself!" Will's feminine-looking Pokemon looked like it was wearing a red dress. Under a head of long blond hair, its skin was a dark purple.

Ash looked apprehensively at Will's choice of a Pokemon. He knew that Jynx was an Ice-type, which would tear Gliscor apart if he wasn't careful. _Should I switch?_ he thought. _No, that's too obvious. But I should still be ready to send out a different Pokemon._ Nodding, he initiated the battle. "Gliscor, Stone Edge!" Gliscor sent sharp rocks straight at its adversary.

"Block with Doubleslap!" called Will calmly. Jynx swung its hands through the air, blocking rock after rock that came its way. After the attack had subsided, Jynx had not been hit at all.

Ash looked at Jynx in disbelief. _That's a _really _fast Doubleslap_, he thought. "Now, Gliscor, X-Scissor!" he commanded.

"Intercept with Ice Beam!" ordered Will.

"Dodge, then Steel Wing!" shouted Ash. Gliscor broke off its attack, ducked the pale blue beam of light aimed at its chest, and swooped in for another attack.

"Doubleslap to block!" called Will. As Gliscor moved in for the attack, Jynx slapped it in the head, once, twice, three times. Ash's Pokemon wobbled in the air and then did a nose-dive, crashing into the ground at Jynx's feet. "Follow up with Psyshock!" commanded Will. Jynx produced blue bubble of energy between its hands...

"Gliscor, get out of there, quick!" shouted Ash desperately. As Gliscor flew away, avoiding the attack by millimeters, its trainer thought, _Psyshock is a real attack? Gary for told me it wasn't a long time ago. I'm gonna kill him!_

"Now use Ice Beam!" ordered Will.

"Dodge it, Gliscor!" yelled Ash. The Ground-type tried to avoid yet another attack, but it was just too slow. The Ice Beam clipped Gliscor in the wing, almost bringing it down again.

"Signal Beam!" called Will, pressing the attack. A multicolored stream of light made straight for Gliscor with impeccable accuracy.

"Counter with Giga Impact!" commanded Ash. Steeling itself, Gliscor flew forcefully into its opponent's attack, struggling to move forward, but nevertheless closing in on Jynx.

"Break it off and use Ice Beam!" ordered Will. Jynx suddenly stopped the Signal Beam, and Gliscor gained a huge burst of speed as a result. However, when the Fang Scorp Pokemon was less than a foot away, Jynx launched an Ice Beam straight at it. Gliscor screamed in pain, slowing down but still managing to break through and score a hit at last.

_I can't risk this anymore_, thought Ash. _I had to do all of that for just one hit._ "Giscor, return!" called Ash, putting his Pokemon back inside its Pokeball. A question ran through Ash's mind: which Pokemon should take Gliscor's place? Should it be Kingler, who had a small type advantage but who was lacking in speed, or a Pokemon like Pikachu or Swellow, who could strike hard and fast?

* * *

Paul looked at the fidgeting Grass-type without even blinking. "So are you or aren't you here to snoop around?" he demanded.

Desperate thoughts swam through Sceptile's mind. Should it run and try finding some way of carving out a reputation in battling, or try to join Paul? Even if Sceptile would choose the latter, would it be able to communicate its intention to Paul? One thing Ash had a knack for, Sceptile remembered, was understanding his Pokemon; would Paul have the same ability to read a Pokemon's emotions and intentions? But it was true that there were few trainers who would or could give Sceptile the reputation that it was craving... and if it backed out now, it might not get another chance... Nervously, Sceptile stayed in place, casting around for some way of communicating to the boy in front of him.

Paul stared, his expression becoming more thoughtful. "So you didn't come here to spy?" he finally asked.

Sceptile blinked, shocked by this change.

"Don't be so surprised," said Paul. "If you _were_ spying, you'd be gone by now. So what do you want?"

Turning to the side, Sceptile raised its fists, punching at an invisible opponent while Paul looked on in puzzlement. Sceptile slashed through the air with a Leaf Blade.

"Huh?" asked Paul. "What are you doing?"

Sceptile crouched down, paused, and burst back up as if coming out of a Pokeball. Then, it started swiping at thin air again.

"You want a battle?" asked Paul. "No. I already have a battle coming up with your trainer—"

Sceptile cut Paul off with an angry shake of its head. It intensified its attack, leaving Paul struggling to comprehend its meaning.

_Wait a minute_, thought Paul. _Why did Sceptile get so angry when I mentioned its trainer?_ _Does that mean...?_ "So you don't want Ash as your trainer anymore?" Paul finally asked.

Sceptile shook its head vigorously.

"So you're asking... you want to train with me?"

Sceptile paused. Then, slowly, it nodded.

Paul's frown deepened, and he put his hand on his chin. "Hmmm," he said to himself, "let's see..."

* * *

Ash looked from the Pokeball in left hand, containing Swellow, to the Pokeball in his right hand, containing Kingler, to his feet, where Pikachu stood. He would certainly feel more comfortable using a fast Pokemon than a slow one. But wouldn't Will expect him to do just that? Replacing Swellow's Pokeball on his belt, he threw the one in his right hand. "Kingler, I choose you!" Kingler burst out, holding its differently-sized claws threateningly in front of itself.

"Signal Beam!" commanded Will immediately.

"Bubblebeam!" ordered Ash. The two attacks collided, each Pokemon fighting to make its own win out. After about a second, Jynx's Signal Beam won out, striking Kingler in the face. "Kingler, hit back with Crabhammer!" called Ash. Kingler scuttled toward its opponent as fast as its legs would carry it, it's larger claw raised.

"Use Psyshock!" commanded Will.

"Knock it away!" ordered Ash. Just as the bluish ball of light came toward, Kingler batted it to the side with its raised claw. "Yes!" shouted Ash. "Now use Vicegrip!" Moving forward again, his Pokemon closed its oversized right claw around its adversary's head.

"Signal Beam!" called Will. Now from up close, Jynx blasted Kingler with yet another Signal Beam, throwing the Pincer Pokemon off itself. "And now, Psyshock!" Will commanded.

"Kingler, quick, Harden!" shouted Ash. Kingler drew both claws in, fortifying its hard outer shell and lessening the force of the Psyshock.

"Signal Beam!" commanded Will. Before Kingler could do anything, its opponent hit it with yet another attack.

"Hang tough, Kingler!" said Ash. "Bubblebeam!"

"Intercept with Doubleslap!" ordered Will. Again, Jynx blocked the attack with precision, popping every bubble that even came close to hitting itself.

"Alright, Crabhammer!" called Ash. He smiled to himself. Will might have a long history of battling behind him, but Ash had a plan take an early lead. He watched as an extra-powerful Crabhammer hit Jynx squarely in the face. "Vicegrip, Kingler!" Ash commanded.

"Quick," Will directed, "hit Kingler's claw with Ice Beam!" Jynx aimed its Ice Beam with stunning accuracy. A chunk of ice formed right in the gap in the Pincer Pokemon's claw; Kingler crushed the ice easily enough, but could not do so and clamp its claw around its opponent at the same time.

"Come on, Kingler, use Crabhammer!" Ash yelled desperately. _This is really bad_, he thought. _I didn't see that Ice Beam trick coming. But I _have _to win this battle!_

"Grab that claw and use Psyshock!" ordered Will. With unnatural speed, Jynx grabbed Kingler's smaller claw, sending a painful wave of mental energy coursing through its opponent's body. "Now, Signal Beam!" Will called with finality. Jynx attacked again at point-blank range, this time hitting Kingler in the face. The Pincer Pokemon was blasted back nearly twenty feet, and its legs gave out. Kingler fell hard on the ground, making no attempt to get back up.

"Kingler is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Jynx is the winner!"

Ash called Kingler back. "Thanks, Kingler," he said. "That could have been anyone's battle. You were great out there. Now, you've earned a long rest." _So who should I choose now?_ Ash thought. _Who else_ _can stand up to that Jynx?_

* * *

"So, Sceptile," asked Paul, "you want to join my group?"

Sceptile nodded again, this time more firmly.

"Do you think you have what it takes to be on my team?"

Sceptile nodded a third time, now fixing Paul with a confident stare.

"You think so? Well, you should know that I don't take just any Pokemon in for training. All my Pokemon have to show what they can do first."

Sceptile screamed to show its willingness, flexing its muscles, but Paul did not flinch. Instead, he said, "Well, I _know_ you have some power. You beat Aggron before. Still, you're a lot faster than Aggron, and your Brick Break is a very strong move to use against a Steel/Rock-type. Let's see how you do when you _don't _have an advantage in speed."

Sceptile flexed its muscles again and drew itself up to its full height. Paul was about to see just how strong _and_ fast it was.

"Weavile, stand by for battle!" called Paul, throwing a Pokeball. The Ice-type that had conquered Brandon's Regirock came out, claws at the ready.

Sceptile moved in for a Leaf Blade, but Weavile was too quick; jumping to the side, it landed a Metal Claw on Sceptile's back.

Fuming, Sceptile saw that Paul was not kidding about Weavile's speed. It would have to improvise to win this battle...

* * *

Ash was having a difficult time picking his next Pokemon. Would Pikachu be the best choice? Or Swellow? Or Muk? He didn't really want to use Tyranitar now if he could help it... But then, he looked up, seeing a flash of red light from across the field; Will was recalling Jynx! What was he doing, giving Ash the benefit of seeing which Pokemon he would use next?

"Exeggutor, ready yourself!" called Will, throwing his next Pokeball. A Pokemon looking like a coconut tree with two extremely thick legs emerged. It had three egg-shaped heads in the place of coconuts.

Ash thought hard. _This_ was an interesting development. He knew that Exeggutor was a Grass-type as well as a Psychic-type, so Bug-type moves would be extremely useful. Maybe it was time to give Gliscor another shot? Making up his mind, Ash cast Gliscor's Pokeball onto the field again, shouting, "Gliscor, I choose you!" The Fang Scorp Pokemon emerged a second time, looking intently at its new adversary.

"Alright, Ash," Will called from across the field, "I'll let you make the first move!"

Surprised by this comment, Ash could only call back, "Okay!" But which move should he make? In a split second, he decided to go all out immediately. "Gliscor, X-Scissor!" he commanded. Gliscor swooped in to meet its opponent, arms crossed.

_Just as I expected_, thought Will. "Use Gravity!" he ordered.

_Gravity?_ thought Ash. _What's _that _attack?_ In practically no time at all, he got his question answered. Exeggutor's eyes glowed blue, and Ash started feeling strangely heavy. Looking at the field, Ash saw Gliscor fight a losing battle to stay airborne, hitting the ground several feet from its opponent. "Gliscor, use Stone Edge!" called Ash. Gliscor tried pummeling Exeggutor with sharp stones, but that was no good either; every single one of them fell short. So _that _was why Will had let him make the first attack!

"Ash," called Will, "this is the power of a high-gravity environment! Any Pokemon that can fly are grounded, and you need a special degree of strength to make sure your attacks hit! For example, watch Exeggutor's Egg Bomb!" Will's Pokemon took this as an order, sending an egg-shaped projectile through the air at its opponent.

"Gliscor, dodge it!" shouted Ash. However, unable to fly, his Pokemon was powerless to avoid taking the hit. Again, Ash called Gliscor back. "Okay," he said to himself, "so what Pokemon can I use now? I need someone who doesn't have a problem with everything so heavy." Making his choice, he threw a Pokeball. "Muk, I choose you!" Muk landed on the field, looking slightly squashed.

This time, Will took the opportunity to move first. "Use Psychic!" he commanded.

"Muk, Minimize!" shouted Ash. Muk contracted its body, hoping against hope to guard itself from the crushing telekinetic assault. By some miracle, it worked. Some of the slime around its body was squeezed, but Muk itself was not. "Okay, Muk, now Sludge Bomb!" Ash ordered.

"Dodge!" called Will as the blobs of sludge hurtled toward Exeggutor. The Grass-type was certainly strong; even under high gravity, under which many Pokemon would be nearly immobilized, it managed to jump out of range.

"Let's see Exeggutor dodge this," said Ash to himself. "Muk, Shadow Punch!" he commanded his Pokemon. Muk's fist of shadow zoomed toward its opponent; having no weight, the increased gravity did nothing to hinder it.

"Counter with Seed Bomb!" shouted Will. A giant, glowing seed issued from the top of Exeggutor's head, exploding on contact when it met the incoming Shadow Punch.

"Don't let up, Muk!" ordered Ash. "Keep using Shadow Punch!"

"Seed Bomb on all of them!" called Will. Muk started punching in rapid succession, with Exeggutor fighting to keep them from hitting. Only three attacks managed to get through its defenses.

After the third Shadow Punch hit, Ash cheered, "Yes! Time to step up the pressure! Four Shadow Punches at once!"

Will surveyed the barrage of Shadow Punches with a faint amusement; Ash, no matter how skilled he was, must be naïve to use such a simple strategy. It was just like he had found in his research; Ash always staked too much on a frontal assault. He commanded, "Send them all back with Psychic!"

Ash watched, horrified, as Exeggutor stopped all four attacks in midair using its phenomenal Psychic. Then, the attacks reversed direction, all headed for their originator. Desperate to have Muk avoid the barrage, he yelled, "Use Minimize, quick!" However, he realized too late that he had chosen the wrong way for Muk to protect itself. All four Shadow Punches hit Muk at different angles. Muk struggled to stay upright... "Come on, Muk, stay up!" Ash encouraged his Pokemon. Just then, Ash felt as though a great weight had lifted from his body. At the same time, he saw Muk's body become taller and less flat; the high-gravity environment had worn off. "Alright, Muk, now give them a taste of your Sludge Bomb!" Ash ordered.

"Jump, Exeggutor!" called Will. The powerful Grass-type leapt high into the air, and the Sludge Bomb passed harmlessly underneath it.

"Okay, Shadow Punch!" commanded Ash.

"Egg Bomb!" ordered Will. Both attacks hit their targets; Exeggutor, though in pain, managed to land on its feet, while Muk slid back a few feet. "Egg Bomb again!" called Will.

"Sludge Bomb!" commanded Ash. The attacks collided, causing an explosion that blew both Pokemon back. Ash gritted his teeth in frustration. _I wish I could use a faster Pokemon for this battle_, he thought. _Even that Gravity probably wouldn't slow down Sceptile... Sceptile!_ But Sceptile was gone, and he had no way of bringing it back... and Ash was about to pay dearly for his lapse in concentration.

"Use Psychic!" ordered Will. Before Ash could react, the attack hit Muk at full force. "Muk!" he shouted. "Hold on! Try a Shadow Punch to get yourself out!" However, it was no good. As Muk's body contorted every which way, pulling off an attack proved impossible. Finally, Muk was turned upside-down and slammed against the ground. "Come on Muk!" cried Ash. "Get up! You can do it!" But Muk did not get up.

"Muk is unable to battle!" said the referee. "Exeggutor is the winner!"

Ash returned Muk to its Pokeball. "I'm sorry, Muk," he said sadly. "You didn't blow it, I did. I spaced out when my mind should have been on the battle. I wish I could get you another shot at this, but all I can give you is a nice, long rest." Ash gritted his teeth. He had already lost two Pokemon without taking out any of Will's. This was getting serious...

* * *

Sceptile was extremely pleased with itself. Even with disadvantages in both type and speed, it had the upper hand against against its opponent. Dodging an Ice Shard... executing a well-timed Quick Attack... Sceptile was completely in its element. Finally, Weavile, its teeth bared in fury, made a beeline for its opponent, trying to land two Metal Claws at once. However, they would never hit. Just as it was coming in, Scpetile cut it off, hitting the Ice-type in the torso with a Brick Break. Weavile did not move after hitting the ground.

"Not bad," said Paul, his facial expression unchanging. "Let's see how you do against this one." Throwing a second Pokeball, he called out, "Gliscor, stand by for battle!" Paul's Gliscor emerged, hovering in the air for half a second before touching down.

Sceptile eyed its new opponent, thinking hard. It would definitely need a new plan to win _this_ fight. It just couldn't rely on one powerful move and good timing for a victory...

Gliscor suddenly swooped in, aiming an X-Scissor right at it adversary's head. Instinctively, Sceptile ducked, turned around in anger, and shot off a Leaf Storm...

* * *

Ash came to his decision. He would finally make use of his first battling instincts rather than trying to out-think Will. He would rely on speed, and not worry about anything else, whether type, power, or moves. He looked down at Pikachu, who looked right back, knowing what was coming next. Sure enough, Ash said, "Pikachu, I need you out there now. I know that Exeggutor's tough, and I know you'll have to use something other than electricity, but I'm counting on you. I'm always proud of your battles, Pikachu, whether you win or lose."

Across the field, Will watched intently as Ash talked to his best friend. If Ash was to choose Pikachu next, he would have to be careful. To be sure, Exeggutor was stronger than Pikachu, and it had a type advantage. However, due to his research, Will knew that Pikachu had defeated an Onix in Pewter City, a Rhydon in Celadon City, a Marowak on the way to the Kanto League, and another Onix in Oreburgh City... each with much larger type disadvantages than it was facing in Exeggutor. Plus, it had defeated _two_ Raichu (one in Kanto and one in Sinnoh), an Electivire in Sunyshore City, a Metagross in the Hoenn League, and a Magmortar in the quarterfinals of this very tournament, all more powerful than itself.

Sure enough, Ash called, "Okay, Pikachu, let's go!" The Electric Mouse ran up to face the much taller Exeggutor.

It was Will's turn to do a little thinking, this time about his strategy with this matchup. "We'll have to fight Pikachu with normal gravity," he said to himself. "High gravity might hurt us in the long run."

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash commanded, taking the chance to attack first. Pikachu rushed forward, but Will, after looking up, gave no order to Exeggutor. The Quick Attack was a direct hit on Exeggutor's middle head.

"Now, Seed Bomb!" ordered Will. With stunning accuracy, his Pokemon fired a glowing seed at its diminutive opponent, who was still in the air.

"Block it with Iron Tail!" shouted Ash. Flipping over in midair, Pikachu sent the Seed Bomb sailing back toward the ground.

"Another Seed Bomb!" called Will. Before the first attack had even hit the ground, Exeggutor launched a second. This one hit Ash's Pokemon head-on, sending Pikachu hurtling upward.

"Come on, Pikachu," said Ash, "use Volt Tackle from right where you are!" Pikachu shot straight back down toward its much larger opponent, its body surging with electricity.

"Intercept with Psychic!" commanded Will. Looking as though it was expending an enormous amount of energy, Exeggutor hit Pikachu with its attack, stopping the Electric Mouse in its tracks and squeezing telekinetically.

_Wait_, thought Ash, _that's it! That's how to beat Exeggutor! But first I have to get Pikachu out of there._ "Pikachu!" Ash called to his best friend. "Fight that Psychic with everything you've got and use Thunderbolt!" With an effort even greater than Exeggutor's, Pikachu sent a bolt of electricity straight at its adversary. Will's Pokemon cried out in surprise more than pain as it took the hit.

"Renew the pressure with Psychic!" ordered Will.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" called Ash. Before Exeggutor could act, the small Electric-type put is incredible speed to work once more, hitting its opponent in the head and breaking its concentration. "Now switch out, Pikachu!" Ash commanded. Panting but relieved, Pikachu ran back to its trainer's side as fast as it could. Ash held the Pokeball containing his next Pokemon in front of his face. _I'm counting on you for this one_, he thought. _You're the only one who can pull this off._ Throwing the Pokeball, he yelled, "Gliscor, I choose you!" Gliscor emerged from the Pokeball, ready to do battle again.

_Gliscor again?_ thought Will. _I'll try something other than Gravity right away. Ash only uses a Pokemon again like this when he has a big plan._ "Exeggutor, Seed Bomb!" he ordered.

"Gliscor, fly up as high as you can!" called Ash. The Fang Scorp Pokemon took to the air, and its opponent's attack exploded behind it. Within seconds, Gliscor was dozens of feet in the air. "Use Stone Edge and keep climbing!" directed Ash. Still ascending, Gliscor sent a barrage of rocks hurtling toward its opponent on the ground.

"Now, Gravity!" commanded Will.

As Exeggutor's eyes glowed blue again, Ash felt his body grow heavy, and the stones aimed at the powerful Grass-type suddenly fell short of their target. At the same time, Gliscor's flying became severely labored. "Okay, Gliscor, Steel Wing!" Ash ordered. Abandoning its attempt to gain more altitude, the Fang Scorp Pokemon started hurtling earthward, hoping to catch its adversary with its wings.

"Intercept with Seed Bomb!" called Will.

"Dodge, then Giga Impact!" commanded Ash. Avoiding the Seed Bomb, Gliscor picked up even more speed, but Will was already giving his next order.

"Use Psychic!" The telekinetic attack hit Gliscor full force, but even the full might of Exeggutor's psychic power failed to neutralize the Ground-type's momentum. Even while clearly in pain, Gliscor kept plunging through the air at its opponent.

"Now, Gliscor," said Ash, "turn that into an X-Scissor!" With the combined force of the high gravity and the Giga Impact still carrying it, Ash's Pokemon crossed its claws in front of itself as it zeroed in.

In the blink of an eye, Will's expression changed from one of calm to one of panic. "Look out, Exeggutor!" he shouted. Exeggutor tried desperately to avoid Gliscor's attack, but to no avail. With all the momentum behind it, Gliscor's X-Scissor was the most powerful that either Ash or Will had ever seen.

The earth shook for several seconds as the crowd screamed and the two trainers in the arena fought to stay upright, and dust obscured everybody's vision for about half a minute. When it all cleared away, several long, deep cracks lined the field, converging on an especially deep crater. Inside the crater, Exeggutor was lying unconscious on its back, with the victorious Gliscor perched on top of it.

While the crowd renewed its thunderous cheers, the referee announced, "Exeggutor is unable to battle! Gliscor is the winner!"

* * *

**Author's Note: So the battle chapters are starting again, and this time, Ash is fighting an Elite Four member! Actually, this battle's turning out a little differently from what I first had in mind. For instance, I was planning to have Ash lose his concentration while Kingler was fighting Jynx, not while Muk was fighting Exeggutor. (But having Gliscor beat Exeggutor like it did WAS part of the original plan).**

**So even after finally defeating a Pokemon belonging to Elite Four member, Ash is trailing Will in his battle. And Paul is still testing Sceptile to see if it makes the grade...**


	35. Championship Class

Chapter 35: Championship Class

Gliscor climbed out of its crater, yelling in jubilation as it did so. "Great work, Gliscor!" shouted Ash, his excitement redoubled from his win. "You show 'em; we're not out of this match!"

Will recalled Exeggutor, his face calm once again. "Well," he said loudly enough for Ash to hear, "I'm impressed that you defeated Exeggutor."

"Thanks!" said Ash, his mood rising still more. But then—

"Even so," said Will, "you have confirmed my suspicions about your battle style."

"_What?_" said Ash, flabbergasted.

"You combined all those attacks beautifully against Exeggutor. Still, in the final analysis, you rely mainly on speed and aggression for your victories. You can pull off a combination extremely well, as long as it's an offensive combination rather than a defensive one."

"Okay? What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means, Ash, that you'd better give this battle two hundred percent, or the rest of my Pokemon will make short work of you." Throwing his next Pokeball, he called, "Gardevoir, ready yourself!"

To say the least, Ash thought this was a strange choice to use in the high gravity. Tall with colors of green and white, the bottom of Gardevoir's body was like a dress that would usually blow around in even the lightest wind. Now, with everything quite a bit heavier than usual, the dress hung limply and Gardevoir's usually graceful body bent over in apparent clumsiness. However, having seen Exeggutor in just such a situation when he had not expected it, Ash was wary of any surprises that might come his way. "Gliscor, return!" he called, recalled the Fang Scorp Pokemon. "Time to take a break," he said to the Pokeball. "Thanks for the effort. You'll see some more action when that stupid Gravity wears off." He turned to Pikachu. "Feel like trying out a fight now?" he asked. Pikachu answered in the affirmative. "Alright, buddy, give it everything you've got!" Pikachu ran into the arena again.

"Okay, Gardevoir," commanded Will, "use Magical Leaf!" Gardevoir produced a stream of leaves that made their way toward the Electric Mouse with deadly accuracy.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt Counter Shield!" ordered Ash. Pikachu blocked the attack, spinning around and shooting electricity in all directions. Ash smiled to himself. _You're wrong, Will_, he thought. _Look at Pikachu's Counter Shield. How's _that_ for a defensive move?_

"Use your own Thunderbolt!" called Will.

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" shouted Ash. Narrowly ducking its opponent's Thunderbolt, the speedy Electric-type ran forward as fast as its legs would carry it. It jumped, aiming for Gardevoir's middle...

"Gardevoir, drop!" commanded Will. Falling flat on the ground, the Embrace Pokemon avoided the Volt Tackle by several inches. "Now, Magical Leaf!" Will ordered. A new barrage of enchanted leaves hit Pikachu in the back, almost sending it crashing into the far wall.

Pikachu pulled itself up from the ground, gritting its teeth in frustration. "Okay Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash called. Pikachu ran in again for a fresh offensive, hitting Gardevoir's prone figure.

"Hit back with Magical Leaf!" commanded Will.

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" ordered Ash. The two attacks exploded, blowing both Pokemon backward.

"Hidden Power!" called Will. Orbs of light circled around Gardevoir's body, ready to fly at their originator's diminutive opponent.

"That won't do anything," said Ash to himself. "Volt Tackle, Pikachu!" he commanded his Pokemon. Pikachu rushed forward again as its adversary launched its attack. Again, the accuracy was perfect. Every single one hit the Electric Mouse, stopping it in its tracks. "What?" cried Ash out loud. "But Hidden Power isn't that... powerful..." It was no use keeping Pikachu in the fray now if Gardevoir's Hidden Power was that strong. "Pikachu, switch out!" Ash ordered. Half reluctantly, half gratefully, Pikachu obeyed, running back to its trainer's side. But who should take Pikachu's place in the battle? Neither Gliscor nor Swellow could fly in the high gravity; that only left Tyranitar, who was supposed to be the secret weapon. However, Ash could not think of one good strategy for either Flying-type when neither could become airborne. His hand trembling, he picked up Tyranitar's Pokeball. _I'm gonna need you now_, Ash thought nervously. _I know it's sooner than we expected, but..._ However, just then, he felt a great weight lift from his body. Looking up, he saw Gardevoir pulling itself upright again, its dress billowing in the air. Flooded with relief, Ash put Tyranitar's Pokeball back on his belt. Since flying was an option again, he would stick to his original plan and save Tyranitar for later. Throwing a different Pokeball, he called out, "Swellow, I choose you!" The Swallow Pokemon emerged in the air, looking determinedly down at Gardevoir.

But the battle between Swellow and Gardevoir was not to be. Gardevoir disappeared in a burst of red light in Will put it back inside its Pokeball. Will threw a different Pokeball instead. "Xatu, ready youself!" Like its opponent, Xatu was flying several feet above the ground. Predominantly green with white wings and a long, pink plume on its head, Will's Pokemon looked down its long beak at Swellow, its face devoid of all emotion.

Ash could not help smiling widely at this development. Just before, Will had assessed Ash's greatest strengths as attacking and speed. Now, Will was engaging Ash in an aerial battle, where speed and attack were probably the greatest assets. Ash had the utmost confidence that Swellow could beat Xatu to tie the match up.

* * *

Sceptile moved with its usual speed and grace as it ducked and weaved around its opponent, swinging the bladelike leaves on its arms with abandon. Even with the power of flight, Gliscor was hard-pressed to strike its adversary or to dodge the attacks aimed at itself. Having no recourse, the Fang Scorp Pokemon turned tail, trying to put some distance between its adversary and itself.

However, Sceptile's Leaf Blade pinned its tail to the ground, and Gliscor bounced back as though held by a spring. The frantic Gliscor tried to counter with an X-Scissor, but Sceptile dodged with a high jump. Before Gliscor could look up, Sceptile had fired a Leaf Storm straight downward. Gliscor yelled in agony as it was slammed into the ground, and then went limp.

Paul returned his fallen Gliscor to its Pokeball, his face becoming more and more thoughtful. "Well, Sceptile, you're doing a lot better than I expected," he said.

Sceptile flexed its muscles, on edge about what the trainer would say next.

"But I'll just need to make sure," Paul said.

Sceptile dropped its arms, scowling, and then raised them again for its next challenge.

"Ninjask, stand by for battle!" called Paul, throwing a third Pokeball. An insectoid Pokemon appeared in air, beating its translucent wings feverishly and darting around slightly above Sceptile's head.

The tall Grass-type looked at Ninjask buzzing around. Sceptile was only too aware of how the types favored its adversary. Its Grass-type attacks, as well as its Brick Break, would do next to nothing. Also, even if Sceptile had a speed advantage (a doubtful possibility, since it had not had superior speed in the previous two battles), that would disappear quickly due to Ninjask's ability, Speed Boost. Sceptile gritted its teeth, trying to find a way to win, which it was not even sure existed. The Grass-type scowled as it racked its brains; Ash _might_ be able to find a winning try in this situation if he was lucky. Sceptile was facing the end of its challenge, where it would have to use every scrap of its previous training to pass the test. And then, Sceptile's whole training paradigm would be thrown out, to be replaced by something that was undoubtedly much better...

* * *

"Use Drill Peck!" called Will.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" commanded Ash. Xatu spun around in a blur, rushing straight at its opponent, but Swellow ducked away easily, swooped back into the fray, and landed its attack right on its opponent's belly. "Great," said Ash, "now Steel Wing!"

"Take evasive action!" ordered Will. His Pokemon did a backflip in midair, ducking under Swellow's Steel Wing. "Now, Heat Wave!" Will directed. Turning around, Xatu flapped its wings, sending a superheated stream of wind at Swellow's back.

"Quick, Swellow, Double Team!" shouted Ash. Still flying away, his Pokemon split into about twenty copies. The Heat Wave burned three of them away, but left the real Swellow untouched.

"Drill Peck on all of them!" called Will.

"Swellow, Aerial Ace!" commanded Ash. All the copies of Swellow turned around to attack, meeting the Drill Peck head-on. Copy after copy vanished as they hit Xatu's beak before before before the two attacks met. After a second of grappling, Xatu's attack won out. "Hang in there, Swellow!" called Ash bracingly.

"Heat Wave!" Will ordered. Xatu followed up on its previous attack, scoring a clean hit in Swellow's midsection.

"Swellow, Quick Attack!" called Ash. Swellow struck back immediately, sending its adversary somersaulting though the sky. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Ash followed up, clenching his fists as he waited for Xatu's counterattack to come.

"Back away and use Future Sight!" commanded Will, his voice slightly louder than usual. Xatu beat its wings as rapidly as possible without breaking its concentration, its eyes glowing eerily. However, its opponent was rapidly closing in.

Ash's smile faded as he heard Will's order. Swellow would definitely hit Xatu again, but in return, Ash would have a mental balancing act on his hands. Apart from directing Swellow in the intense battle agianst Xatu, he would have to contend with an attack that would come out of nowhere some time in the future, tipping the scales against him. He would have to have Swellow redouble its efforts, trying to end the battle before the impending Future Sight became an issue. "Turn that Aerial Ace into a Steel Wing!" he called. His Pokemon quickly caught up with its adversary, striking Xatu hard in the face.

"Strike back with Drill Peck!" Will ordered.

"Counter with another Steel Wing!" shouted Ash, not wanting to let up. Almost instantaneously, Xatu's spinning beak collided with Swellow's steadfast wing. For second after agonizing second, the two Flying-types pushed against each other's attacks, each determined to show its superiority. And suddenly, seemingly out of the blue—

"Use Heat Wave!" Will called. Xatu complied, accepting the second Steel Wing as it returned to beating its wings. Then, at point-blank range, a blast of hot air hit Xatu's attacker, blowing the screaming Swellow back almost thirty feet.

"Swellow, Quick Attack!" commanded Ash, trying desperately to regain control of the battle.

"Evade it!" ordered Will. As Swellow came in for a fresh hit, Xatu swooped to one side, never taking its eye off its opponent.

As the furious Swellow stopped its attack, spinning around to face Will's Pokemon once again, its trainer suddenly remembered why he was ordering Swellow to fight so aggressively. _Oh yeah,_ Ash thought, _that Future Sight should be around real soon. But this might do the trick..._ "Swellow, use Double Team!" he called. Copies of the Swallow Pokemon surrounded Xatu, all share their originator burning, angry ferocity.

"Miracle Eye!" commanded Will. His Pokemon's eyes started glowing again.

"If they won't attack, we will!" shouted Ash. "Swellow, Aerial Ace!"

"Counter with Drill Peck!" commanded Will, his voice as calm as ever.

"Huh?" said Ash, baffled. Why give such a simple instruction when Xatu was under attack from multiple copies of Swellow? However, the answer to his question came in short order. Xatu's attack smashed headlong into the real Swellow; the duplicates all vanished as the Swallow Pokemon fell to earth. And just then, an explosion came out of thin air, catching Ash's Pokemon in the middle. When the smoke cleared, Swellow was lying on its stomach, not even attempting to beat its wings.

"Swellow is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Xatu is the winner!"

Ash was in so much shock, it took him several seconds to comprehend what had happened. Will had turned his tactics against him in an instant; how was this possible? Jerking himself back to reality, he put his defeated Swellow back inside its Pokeball. "Thanks, Swellow," he said. "Don't feel bad about what just happened... _I _don't even know what was going on. You just take a good, long rest." He walked quickly off the field, completely oblivious to the cheering and screaming of the crowd.

* * *

Arms flailing, Sceptile was fighting furiously against its airborne opponent. This battle was not going nearly as well as the others had. About sixty percent of the hits were on Sceptile, while its latest tiring barrage was defensive, avoiding getting slashed by Ninjask's Fury Cutter.

The Forest Pokemon followed up with a Leaf Storm, but Paul had already called, "Another Fury Cutter!" Only the beginnings of Sceptile's attack had materialized before Ninjask had made good on its order; Sceptile took the hit on its collarbone.

Fuming, and also afraid for the first time since the start of this battle, the Grass-type scampered away, avoiding a follow-up attack from its opponent. Steeling itself, Sceptile knew that it was time for drastic action. The Forest Pokemon had an idea, but was repulsed with itself for thinking it. But it might be the only way to win, and the only way to put the past behind itself. Nervously but quietly, it climbed up the tree trunk shielding it from Ninjask...

"Use Faint Attack!" commanded Paul. Obediently, his Pokemon looped around the tree toward where its opponent had been— and without warning, Sceptile plunged downward, ramming Ninjask into the ground with a Quick Attack. The Forest Pokemon wasted no time in following up, slashing its now-dazed adversary with a Leaf Blade. The Ninja Pokemon's superior speed did its job again, however, carrying the Bug-type behind Sceptile's back, and the Leaf Blade hit the base of the tree.

But in a surprise for both Paul and Ninjask, Sceptile repeated its attack, hitting the tree with another Leaf Blade, severing the trunk from the base entirely. Caught off guard, the Ninja Pokemon was pinned to the ground by a cluster of small branches. Wheeling around triumpantly, Sceptile fired a Leaf Storm at full power.

* * *

"You okay, son?" asked Norman.

"I kind of don't know what happened there," Ash admitted.

"You're not the only one," said May, standing next to her father. "I can't figure out why Xatu could hit Swellow with that last Drill Peck."

"That's the part that gets me too," said Ash.

"What's there to figure out?" asked Max, standing next to Ash.

"_You_ know what happened?" Ash blurted out at hearing yet another surprise.

"Yeah, of course," said Max. He looked a little anxiously at Norman, who nodded, and then asked, "You know that Miracle Eye move that Xatu used right before Swellow started attacking?"

"Uh-huh," said Ash. He paused. "What did it do?"

Max gave an exasperated sigh at his half-brother's ignorance. Even with his expertise at battling, Ash could display an ignorance that was both startling and exasperating. "It let Xatu see which Swellow was the real one."

Ash's mouth dropped open. _Why_ had he not suspected that before?

"You see what Will did, Ash?" asked Norman. "He's very thorough in his preparation. He picked up on something that only one in a hundred thousand trainers can: that no matter how good you are at battling, you have heard of fewer attacks than most trainers of your skill level."

"But... how can he—" Ash began, but he was interrupted by the sounds of eight pairs of feet entering the locker room.

"Ash, dear," said Delia, who was leading the group, "don't be upset if you're behind, because you're always a winner—"

"_Please _don't try saying that to Ash," Misty interrupted with a feeble attempt at politeness. "He's going for the win, so no matter what—"

"Please be quiet for a minute," said Norman. "I need a word with Ash about the battle, and I don't know how long it will take."

"Norman—" began Delia.

"No," said Norman authoritatively. "What he needs right now is advice about how to finish the battle. If you don't waste time arguing, you'll probably get some time to talk to Ash too."

"Norman, don't do this," said Delia. "Doesn't this kind of situation look familiar? Remember who used to be in the _exact same place you're putting Ash in now?_"

"I am _not_ setting Ash up to repeat my mistakes," said Norman, traces of annoyance starting to show in his voice. "This isn't like when we were together. Ash needs to focus on the battle _now_, when it's important, not all day, every day."

"But Norman—"

"I said no. If you haven't noticed, I have _never_ pushed Ash to train obsessively or to neglect the other parts of his life, either before or after he knew the truth about me. I am taking his time now because this is the most important time for him to keep his full attention on the battle."

Delia snorted. "Why?"

"Because he has reached the part of the tournament when he always loses his concentration; it's the next battle after defeating a big rival. If Ash wins now, he will have conquered one of his biggest obstacles as a trainer."

"I just... I can't let you take that chance!"

"Don't you see, Delia—"

"Mom," said Ash, "I need to talk to Dad right now. I really don't want to mess this battle up, but I'll spend some time with you too." Getting no response from his mother, he continued, "You _always _told me to go after what I want, and I always told you that what I want is to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master! I'm not gonna get there right after I win, but it's just one more step I'm taking. You know I love you, Mom, no matter what happens."

Everyone's mouths dropped open in astonishment; they were too surprised to speak. They looked him in the eyes instead; he had a look that seemed out of place on someone as young as himself.

"Alright, Ash," said Delia, tears welling up in her eyes and a smile forming on her face. "I'm sorry." She smiled weakly. "This is one of those times where you bring out the best of your father's side. I guess I could never really appreciate Pokemon battling, but I know you can't be happy without following that path." He smile widened as the last of hers tears fell. "Will won't know what hit him when you get back out there."

"Aww, Mom," said Ash sheepishly, "you don't have to cry right now."

"So what were you asking me before?" Norman asked, bringing his son's attention back to himself.

"Oh, yeah," said Ash, turning to face his father again. "So how can Will know how I fight a move I don't know about by just looking up my stats on a computer?"

"He doesn't just look up stats. He also watches as many _videos_ as he can of the trainers he's going to face. That's his secret to success; it allows him to figure out how to analyze your strengths and weaknesses much more fully. It let him discover which moves you were facing without having heard of them just by watching your reaction. And he also took an extra step, like all top trainers do."

"What extra step?"

"Will didn't just throw moves at you that you were unlikely to know. Just look at how he used Gravity; you like to dodge attacks a lot during battles, but Gravity made it much harder for you to do that. And he also used Miracle Eye, a move that has no visible effect, correctly guessing that it would lure you into an ill-timed offensive."

Ash's confidence fell with each second he heard his father talking. The preparation that Will had taken against him was ingenious beyond his wildest dreams. Ash had seen moves in past battles where he had never heard of some of the attacks used against him. When he had first started on his journey, such moves had brought Ash's Pokemon to speedy defeats. Battling Sabrina's Kadabra at the Saffron City Gym, Pikachu lost twice, largely due to Kadabra's Recover and Teleport. However, he had eventually learned to dig in and improvise, honing his quick thinking and creativity enough to handle even the nastiest surprises; facing such moves as Future Sight, Aerial Ace, and Yawn for the first time, Ash's incredible tactical ability had made up for his ignorance of the attacks used against him. Now, however, it seemed like this weakness was his bane once again. Will had effectively used a strategy against him that had not worked in years. "So... I don't know how the heck I'm gonna win," said Ash finally. "Got any ideas?" he asked Norman.

"Sure," said Norman, "but keep in mind that even an idea won't bring you a comeback on its own. I've battled Will a few times, and whether I won or lost, I was sweating bullets during the fight. I never had any clue what he would spring on me next, even when I had the advantage. It was nerve-racking to think of what he could come up with just by reading my behavior."

Ash's heart sank another few inches. "But you _can _give me something to work with, right?"

"Certainly. If you see Will doing something unfamiliar again, just take a step back and ask why he's doing it. Ask yourself what he could be accomplishing by using that move. You don't have to wait for very long; just bide your time if you have to before you attack again." Seeing his son nodding, Norman continued, "But remember, don't get _too_ caught up in reacting to your opponent. It doesn't matter if Will's stronger than you; just play to your own strengths whenever you have an opening. Your feel for tactics, your use of speed, your bonds and connections with every one of your Pokemon... all of that has to be at the heart of your battle. What I just told you about how to react to something you've never seen before... that's only good if used on the side. It won't do you any good if you suddenly try to center your whole style on it."

"But that's so different than anything I've used so far," said Ash, trying to take in all the advice. "How can I use it and get anything out of it if I have to just think of it in the middle of a battle?"

"You _can_," assured Norman. "I've _seen_ how quickly you can think during a battle. Just think about Will as any other opponent. Forget about his Elite Four status and focus on what you're gonna throw at him on the field, and what he's gonna throw back at you. Just keep that wariness about the unknown in the back of your mind for when you need it, and apart from that, just keep doing what you usually do. _Will's not invincible, Ash. You beat his Exeggutor._"

"And there's something else," said Ash. He hesitated, wondering if he should voice his next concern at this particular moment. "When Muk lost... it's because I was... distracted. I was thinking about Sceptile leaving. When I think about that... I have to wonder whether my connections with my Pokemon are strong enough. I couldn't have been connected that well to Sceptile if it left the way it did."

"Son," said Norman, "you can think about that later. Now, you need to think about the battle. You can't go back in time, only forward on your path. Concentrate on what you're doing."

"But, Dad..."

Ash's friends were astounded at how quickly Ash's determination had evaporated. May looked plaintively at her father, and Brock was about to step forward to put a hand on Ash's shoulder, but suddenly—

"Thanks for hearing me out, Ash," said Norman. "Most teens can't listen to their parents' advice for as long as you did." For some reason, the Petalburg Gym Leader started smiling and walking away. As he was about to exit the locker room, Norman turned around. "See you in the finals," he said.

"_WHAT?"_ shouted Ash, caught more off guard by that remark than by any unpleasant surprise in a battle.

"Ash," said Norman, "I have complete confidence in you. You _can_ win, even if it won't be easy. And I can beat Sabrina tomorrow night. So what do you say we make the final match into some father-son time?"

Ash's mind failed him; he was at a complete loss for words. Nobody else said anything either, so Norman waved and walked out of the locker room.

"Is he _insane?_" asked Delia, her eyes fixed on the locker room door. "Ash, honey," she said, her voice weak and shaky, "you don't have to listen to your father on this. He's out of line to tell you that you have to win here. If you don't, that's just fine."

Ash still said nothing.

"Ash, come on," said Max. "Dad's right. You can't give up now. He's helped me a lot in battles too, and what he said always worked out for me."

"But did you ever have to face someone like Will?" Ash asked.

"What does it matter?" countered Misty. "Didn't your dad say that you could beat Will?"

"And even if you _don't_—" began Delia.

"Mom," said Ash, "I thought you said before that it was okay that I want to win."

"But that was before your father put an unfair expectation on you! It'll be nice if you win this battle, but looking at it realistically, do you think it's going to happen?"

"Maybe not," said Brock, "but Ash, take away the positives of what he said. I don't know if your dad should have put that kind of pressure to win on you, but think about the rest of what he said. He gave you a relatively solid plan about how to win your battle which you weren't even close to getting yourself."

"But I _want_ this win," Ash protested. "I just don't see how my dad's strategy can get that win."

"Ash," said May suddenly, "did you see what time it is? You'll need to be out really soon."

The next minute passed in a blur as everyone wished Ash luck. The black-haired trainer spoke in barely over a whisper as he thanked his mother, siblings and friends. In what seemed like an eternity, Ash was walking back onto the field to meet his illustrious adversary.

But as Ash saw Will looking impassively at him from the opposite side of the field, something unexpected happened. Instead of the referee giving the signal for the match to resume, an announcer's voice blared over the excited noises of the crowd, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a special surprise for you. Our national champion, Cynthia Sherman, is in the stadium right now, watching this match with you!" A giant view screen, elevated over the stands, hummed to life, showing a tall young woman with long, flowing blond hair, elegantly dressed in furs. Cynthia stood up, waving to the camera. "And the champion will also be holding a will be holding a special autograph session tomorrow morning!" the announcer continued. "So don't forget, ladies and gentlemen! So if you've always wanted an autograph from the national Pokemon battling champion, this is your big chance!"

Ash looked at Cynthia's image on the screen. _Dad's right_, he thought. _I might get a chance to challenge _Cynthia_ if I win. And I've got to keep my mind on battling, no matter who my opponent is. If I can beat both will and Dad... then I get a championship match!_

As the champion's face faded from the view screen, the referee raised both of his flags. "The battle resumes now!" he said. "Both trainers, release your Pokemon!"

* * *

**Author's Note: I want to start out with a special thanks to Organ Man on 2 counts. First of all, thanks for pushing me to finish this chapter. I knew I was taking way too long on this, but I needed some extra motivation to finish. Also, thanks for asking for my input for your upcoming story; I'm honored! (Everybody, make sure to check out Organ Man's existing story, "Dark Mirror," and stay on the lookout for his next one if you like horror stories!)**

**So Ash has fallen further behind against Will, Norman offers encouragement (to which everyone else has mixed reactions), Sceptile's challenge continues, and Cynthia finally appears in person! Will Sceptile be able to prove itself to Paul? And will Ash be able to salvage the match?**


	36. Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Chapter 36: Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Will did not hesitate to call out his Pokemon first. "Xatu, ready yourself!" The Mystic Pokemon burst out of its Pokeball once again, hovering over the field.

"Xatu again," said Ash quietly. He racked his brains, trying to decide whether to use Pikachu (the obvious choice) or to throw Gliscor into the battle unexpectedly. But no sooner did he get started in this train of thought than his father's words came back to him. _Just think about Will as any other opponent. Forget about his Elite Four status and focus on what you're gonna throw at him on the field, and what he's gonna throw back at you._ So what would Ash do when battling anybody else? Making up his mind, Ash turned to Pikachu. "Okay, buddy, you're up." Pikachu ran onto the field, looking determinedly up at Xatu.

"Use Heat Wave!" Will called.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" commanded Ash. The two attacks collided, producing an explosion that blocked everyone's view.

"Now, Future Sight!" Will ordered.

_Of course_, thought Ash, gritting his teeth. _Will wanted some time to use that move again. But how do I attack back now?_

But Ash did not get a chance before Will gave his next command. "Drill Peck, and maintain your position!"

Neither Ash nor most of the crowd could make anything of this order. However, they found out in a second what it was about. Slowly, the smoke from the explosion started swirling. The speed of the motion increased at an astounding pace, forcing Ash and Pikachu to shield their eyes. "Hang tough, Pikachu!" shouted Ash before coughing up smoke. They only had to wait a few seconds before Will and his Pokemon became visible again.

"Now that you can see Pikachu again, use Heat Wave!" called Will.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge, then Volt Tackle!" commanded Ash. With difficulty, Pikachu avoided the surge of hot air headed for itself before rushing at Xatu, its body crackling with electricity.

"Evade it!" ordered Will.

Xatu slipped out of its opponent's path with apparent ease, but Ash said, "No way you're dodging that easily! Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Redirecting its momentum, Pikachu flipped over in midair, whipping its tail around to hit Xatu in the back of its head.

"Hit back with Drill Peck!" called Will. Regaining its composure almost immediately, the Mystic Pokemon spun around in the air, ramming straight into its diminutive adversary with its beak. Pikachu landed hard but upright on the ground, gritting its teeth.

"Quick Attack!" commanded Ash. The Electric Mouse sprang back into action, rushing straight at Xatu...

"Evade!" ordered Will. Once again, Xatu made to dodge the attack, but this time, Pikachu had anticipated this. Changing direction at the last second the Electric Mouse barreled into Will's Pokemon, hitting Xatu on the side of its chest.

"Great, Pikachu, now Thunderbolt!" called Ash. While still standing on top of its opponent, Pikachu shot a powerful jolt of electricity into Xatu's body.

"Heat Wave!" commanded Will. His Pokemon flapped its wings, hitting Pikachu with a burst of superheated air. This time, Ash's Pokemon did not have the good fortune of landing on its feet; with an extra cry of pain, the Electric Mouse hit the ground back first. "Antoher Heat Wave!" ordered Will. Xatu repeated its attack, hoping to score a finishing hit on its prone adversary...

"Quick, Pikachu, use a Thunderbolt Counter Shield!" Ash yelled. Slowly at first but then picking up speed, Pikachu started spinning, sending out electricity in all directions. It blocked the attack effectively, and when Pikachu stopped spinning, it landed on its feet again. "Thunderbolt Counter Shield again!" called Ash, a small smile forming on his face.

Will's mouth dropped open in shock as the crowd wondered aloud about his strange order. But after a couple of seconds, everyone was brought up to speed on Ash's tactic. An explosion emerged from thin air, smashing against the Counter Shield and dissipating harmlessly.

After the renewed cheers had subsided, Will called across the field, "You've impressed me again, Ash. Not many trainers can counter Xatu's Future Sight like you did, even if your Pokemon does have a type advantage."

"Of course not!" exclaimed Ash, his smile widening. "Pikachu and the rest of my team are still kicking, and we're gonna show you a real come-from-behind win!"

"Don't be so sure!" said Will, holding up a finger in warning. "You never know what your opponent can use against you!"

Ash chuckled slightly. "Let's wrap this up!" he said. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu sprinted in for a fresh attack.

"Drill Peck!" commanded Will. Xatu responded in kind, rushing its opponent while spinning in a blur.

"Break it off and use Iron Tail!" ordered Ash. Another Iron Tail hit the Mystic Pokemon in the head, sending Xatu crashing into the ground.

"Xatu, Future Sight!" shouted Will. His Pokemon's eyes glowed momentarily, leaving no trace of anything on the field.

"Finish with Thunderbolt!" called Ash triumphantly. Pikachu blasted Xatu with electricity at point-blank range. The attack continued for about twenty seconds, with the Mystic Pokemon thrashing around in pain. When the attack stopped, Will's Pokemon was lying motionless on the ground.

"Xatu is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Pikachu is the winner!"

* * *

As Sceptile finally let up its Leaf Storm, Ninjask emerged from the branches of the tree. Numerous scratches and bruises covered its body, but the Ninja Pokemon was angry and still fighting. However, before it could do anything, Sceptile had hit it hard with a Brick Break.

"Use Fury Cutter!" commanded Paul. Bent on revenge, Ninjask flew forward again, hitting its opponent squarely in the chest. However, Sceptile struck back immediately with another Brick Break, and then avoided another Fury Cutter. "Use Giga Drain!" Paul ordered. However, the green, energy-draining light of this attack had barely started to form before Sceptile slammed into Ninjask with a Quick Attack. At long last, the Ninja Pokemon was down, and it did not get back up.

"Well, well," said Paul, recalling his fallen Pokemon. "I guess you _do_ have what it takes after all. Beating Ninjask was something I didn't really expect you to do. All I would have expected was for you to put up a good fight, but you actually defeated my Ninjask." Paul held out a Pokeball. "If you want to join me, I'll train you."

Sceptile, however, was looking down at the fallen tree. No longer blunted by adrenaline, the reality of what Sceptile had done came crashing down. Sceptile had grown up in forests, and had always loved and revered the trees. Just before joining up with Ash, Sceptile had been a young Treecko trying desperately to save the dying tree in which it had been born and raised. Every tree had tremendous life, and the very thought of taking it was repugnant. Sceptile had done just that... all to impress a trainer.

"Hello?" demanded Paul, still holding the Pokeball impatiently. "I thought you just battled three of my Pokemon to see if you had what it takes to join me. Is that what you want or not?"

Jerking its head up, Sceptile looked at the trainer who was now accepting it as his own, and then came to its decision. If anything at all could come out of that tree losing its life, it would be a new life for Sceptile, free of the boredom and betrayal that had plagued it recently. Walking toward Paul with a determined expression, Sceptile tapped the Pokeball.

A red light engulfed the Forest Pokemon, but Sceptile did not disappear inside the Pokeball. The light just faded, leaving the tall Grass-type standing in exactly the same position as before. "Huh?" asked Paul, looking at the capture device. Looking back at Sceptile, he said, "Ash must have never officially released you." Sceptile looked crestfallen, but its prospective trainer took no notice. "I'll just have to explain the situation to Ash after our battle," he said to himself. "If need be, I'll talk to the Pokemon League officials. There has to be some rule covering this situation..." Paul turned back to Sceptile. "In the mean time, we have work to do. Take a ten-minute break, and then I'll give you your first training lesson."

* * *

Will calmly put Xatu back in its Pokeball as the thunderous cheers reached full volume. Across the field, Ash was celebrating. "Way to go, buddy!" he praised his best friend. "One more win and we draw even!" Pikachu tried to mimic its trainer's fist pump, but sank onto all fours in exhaustion. "Pikachu!" called Ash, concern in his voice. "You'd better sit the next round out if you're this tired. Come back and take a break." Pikachu ran back to Ash's side and sat down to catch its breath.

"Blissey," said Will, throwing his next Pokeball, "ready yourself!" The Pokemon that emerged looked like a bloated, ovoid, pink-and-white fairy. In its front pouch was a white egg.

_So Will's using Blissey?_ Ash thought. _He must be using endurance to wear my Pokemon out. I need to be careful not to let that happen._ Making his selection, Ash called out, "Gliscor, I choose you!" The Fang Scorp Pokemon took to the skies again, clearly in good spirits from its previous victory.

"Use Flamethrower!" commanded Will, initiating the battle. A jet of fire erupted from Blissey's mouth, speeding toward Gliscor.

"Dodge it, then use X-Scissor!" ordered Ash. His Pokemon avoided the attack and crossed its arms, flying straight at its adversary. Ash saw the attack hitting its mark.

"Strike back with Double-Edge!" called Will. Blissey returned the favor, slamming into Gliscor before it could fly away. Ash's Pokemon sailed skyward before regaining its balance.

"Now use Stone Edge!" commanded Ash.

"Flamethrower!" ordered Will. The two attacks collided, with Gliscor straining to maintain its attack in the face of Blissey's Flamethrower. Eventually, the Fang Scorp Pokemon succeeded, but got the worse part of the resulting explosion.

"Gliscor, Steel Wing!" called Ash. His Pokemon plunged downward, looking to land a fresh attack on Blissey.

"Jump to evade it!" commanded Will calmly. Blissey bounded upward, leaving Gliscor on the wrong trajectory for a hit. "Now use Double-Edge!" said Will. Blissey launched its attack as it fell, catching the Fang Scorp Pokemon on its way down. Gliscor bounced twice before finally landing on the ground.

"Come on, Gliscor, give it an X-Scissor!" shouted Ash, trying to gain some control over the battle.

"Flamethrower, quickly!" ordered Will. Blissey's attack hit just as Gliscor was getting off the ground, blasting Ash's Pokemon back several feet. Gliscor struggled to stand up again.

"Come on, Gliscor, you can do it!" Ash encouraged. Finally, the Fang Scorp Pokemon raised its body weight onto its tail. "That's it Gliscor!" said Ash. "Now, try another X-Scissor!"

"Grass Knot!" called Will. Just as Gliscor made to fly again, a strong pair of leaves caught Gliscor by the tail. Another pair twisted itself around its head. "Now use Softboiled!" A yellow glow formed around the egg in Blissey's pouch before transferring itself into the Happiness Pokemon's body. Blissey bounced up and down in jubilation.

Ash gritted his teeth in frustration. This was another one of these new moves that he had never seen before. And judging by the effect on Blissey, as well as the kinds of moves usually used in similar situations, that might just mean... _Great_, he thought. _We must be back to square one._ "Gliscor," he called, "break free and use Stone Edge before Blissey can concentrate on you again!" However, his Pokemon never got the chance to carry out the command. Just then, Xatu's final Future Sight took effect, hitting Gliscor as it struggled to free its head. The Fang Scorp Pokemon flopped down on the ground, unmoving.

"Gliscor is unable to battle!" the referee said. "Blissey is the winner!"

Ash recalled his fallen Gliscor sadly. "Thanks, Gliscor," he said. "You battled great today. You were my first Pokemon ever to beat an Elite Four member's Pokemon. Now, just take a good, long rest." His words of thanks out, Ash's mind returned to the battle. _How _had he forgotten about that last Future Sight? And in its tired state, could Pikachu expect to to win? "Hey, Pikachu," said Ash, his nerves building, "I know your still tired, but I still need you to battle now. I choose you!" Still panting from its previous battle with Xatu, the Electric Mouse ran onto the field.

* * *

"Break left!" ordered Paul. "Duck and charge! Forward flip!" Sceptile was running through the forest, reacting as quickly as possible to each successive direction Paul gave: first changing direction, moving suddenly to the left, then dropping to all fours without breaking its stride, and then flipping over an imaginary opponent. "Leaf Blade followed with Brick Break!" barked Paul finally as Sceptile approached a large rock. The Forest Pokemon slashed off a large chunk of rock with the leaf on its left arm before shattering it with a chop from its right.

"Okay," said Paul. "That's enough for today. I need to train for a match against your former trainer."

Sceptile started talking to Paul in Pokemon speech, gesturing its arms anxiously.

Paul looked at his newest Pokemon in confusion. "What do you want now?" he asked, impatient.

Sceptile then started running in place. Suddenly, it clicked in Paul's mind. "Oh, so you want to know how you did?" he asked.

Sceptile nodded waiting for the answer.

"Your agility needs a little work. Still, for your first time at this kind of exercise, you did okay."

"Paul!" called a voice suddenly.

Paul looked in the direction of the voice. It was Reggie, bringing an assortment of food for Paul and his Pokemon.

"Hey, Paul," said Reggie, "hows the training going?"

"Good," said Paul dispassionately. "I just took a little time off to train my newest Pokemon."

"What?" said Reggie. "I've never seen or heard of you catching a new Pokemon when you mean to be training."

"Well," said Paul, "I didn't technically catch this one... at least not yet."

"Well, then, I'll hold my congratulations for the time being." Reggie started laughing at his own joke, but stopped as his eyes fell on Sceptile. "Paul," he said, his eyes narrowing, "is that...?"

"Yes," Paul answered the unfinished question.

"...Ash's Sceptile?" Reggie finished.

"Not anymore."

"WHAT?" screamed Reggie, losing his cool completely. "Paul, you've gone too far this time! You can't just steal another trainer's Pokemon so you'll have your steady supply of strong ones!"

"I didn't steal any Pokemon."

"Oh really? Then what's Ash's Sceptile doing here? I've tolerated you treating me like garbage even when I've been helping you for the past seven years, looking after your Pokemon and helping you train for big matches, and being harder than necessary on your Pokemon. I _can't_ let you get away with stealing Pokemon, like you're in Team Rocket or something."

"_I didn't steal Sceptile," _said Paul, annoyance written all over his face. "Sceptile came here _of its own free will_. If that's what you call stealing, Ash never got any of _his_ Pokemon honestly."

Sceptile nodded, but Reggie paid this gesture no attention. "Ash has strong bonds with all his Pokemon. There's no way—"

"And don't you _dare_ talk about how you kept my Pokemon safe for me all this time," interrupted Paul. "You owe me _big_ anyway for how you treated me before."

"I swear, Paul, if you did anything illegal to get Sceptile—"

"But I didn't." Paul walked over to his brother, and picked up the containers of food. "Thanks for bringing me all this stuff. I'll see _you_ later."

Reggie stood rooted to the spot, staring open-mouthed at his younger brother. If his suspicions were true, Paul had stooped to a new low in his quest for ever-more-powerful Pokemon. But _could_ it be true? If it was, then Sceptile was a little too relaxed; a stolen Pokemon would be anxiously looking for the first opportunity to escape. All the same, though, it seemed highly unlike any of Ash's Pokemon to disavow him and seek out his most bitter rival as a trainer. And Paul was not only out of line, but downright foolish to choose a Pokemon who had so recently trained under someone so different from himself. There was only one way to get to the bottom of this...

* * *

_Pikachu again?_ thought Will. _Even though it's still tired from its last fight? And even though Ash has a sixth Pokemon that he hasn't used yet? He's obviously saving his best Pokemon for last to the exclusion of all other factors. And since he has no Dark-type, that must mean his last Pokemon is probably Charizard; it's the best that he has. Which means that I _won't _make it easy for Pikachu now._ "Blissey, use Flamethrower!" he called out, starting the battle.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" commanded Ash. Pikachu evaded Blissey's attack and sprinted at its originator as fast as its legs would carry it.

"Jump to evade!" ordered Will.

"Iron Tail!" called Ash. Blissey's evasive tactic did not work like it had before. Just as the Happiness Pokemon bounded into the air, Pikachu flipped over with a jump of its own, hitting Blissey in the stomach with its tail and knocking it higher up. However—

"Flamethrower now!" commanded Will immediately.

Caught off guard by the timing of the counterattack, Ash reflexively shouted, "Thunderbolt!" However, his attempt to stave off the Flamethrower was in vain. The resulting explosion caught Pikachu in its epicenter.

"Follow up with Double-Edge!" ordered Will. Using gravity to its advantage, his Pokemon slammed into Pikachu at full force. The Electric Mouse, still reeling from the explosion when the attack hit, was thrown backward ten feet.

"Pikachu!" called Ash concernedly. "Are you okay?" Pikachu stood up, its cheeks sparking angrily at this turn of the battle. Ash, on the other hand, was more bewildered than anything else; yet again, he was left with no clue _how_ Will had managed to neutralize his tactics.

"Is that surprise I see?" Will called. "You used the exact same combination _twice_ against Xatu and you don't think I would find a countermeasure? I certainly expected you to plan ahead for seeing Blissey's evasive tactic, so I thought I'd incorporate it into my own counterattack."

Ash was lost for words. Will's explanation had caused his anger to synchronize with that of his best friend, and he yelled out, "Use Volt Tackle, Pikachu!" The Electric Mouse was more than happy to oblige. Seeming to funnel its rage into electricity, it charged forward again.

"Aim slightly below Pikachu and use Flamethrower!" commanded Will.

"Break off the attack, Pikachu!" shouted Ash desperately. Reluctantly, his Pokemon obeyed his order, and not a moment too soon. Blissey's latest attack had almost stopped Pikachu anyway, and much more painfully.

However, Will was not finished attacking just yet. As Pikachu scampered away, he called, "Grass Knot!" With a squeal of pain, the Electric Mouse tripped and fell flat on its face. "Now, Softboiled!" commanded Will. With Pikachu temporarily incapacitated, Blissey calmly executed its healing move a second time.

_Darn it_, thought Ash ruefully, _Softboiled again... wait, that's it! If I can shut down Softboiled..._ "Pikachu," he ordered, "Thunderbolt Counter Shield!" Doing its best to spin around, the Electric Mouse sent out sparks in all directions. While its opponent finished recharging its health, Pikachu broke free of the Grass Knot.

"Flamethrower, Blissey!" called Will.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" commanded Ash.

"Evade!" ordered Will. As before, Pikachu responded to its adversary's Flamethrower by going in for a speed attack, while Blissey responded to _that_ by jumping.

"Stop running and use Thunderbolt!" called Ash. Avoiding the trap of using an Iron Tail, Pikachu took a moment to skid to a halt before aiming a bolt of lightning at Blissey.

"Flamethrower again!" commanded Will. Fire collided with electricity again, detonating on contact and obscuring the two battling Pokemon in smoke once more.

_Wait_, thought Ash, _Pikachu has a little time..._ "Pikachu, listen for Blissey and use Volt Tackle!" he ordered.

"Counter with Double-Edge!" called Will loudly. However, its vision clouded and its hearing not sharp enough to help it aim, Blissey was unable to make its attack hit. Pikachu, on the other hand, scored a direct hit on the Happiness Pokemon's belly.

"Now use Iron Tail!" commanded Ash, taking the opportunity to press the attack. Before Blissey could regain its composure, Pikachu attacked again, this time hitting its adversary in the head and causing to land hard on the field. Not letting up the attack, Ash ordered, "Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Now that Blissey's main evasive tactic had been removed from the equation, the Quick Attack hit home; Pikachu landed hard on its opponent's head. "You're doing great, buddy!" yelled Ash. "Now use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu, who was out of the line of fire for any of Blissey's attacks, sent a surge of electricity directly into the Happiness Pokemon's body.

Will watched Pikachu pummel his Pokemon with attack after attack; Ash and his starter Pokemon were doing much better than he had expected. Still, Will was far from worried. Blissey could endure lots of attacks, and it was only a matter of time before Pikachu collapsed from exhaustion. And Blissey could heal itself, while Pikachu couldn't. "Throw Pikachu off and use Flamethrower!" Will called.

"Dodge it and use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted, ready to use his winning tactic at long last. "Aim right for Blissey's egg!" Avoiding another Flamethrower from its opponent, Pikachu landed on its opponent's stomach, lodging its tail inside Blissey's front pouch. "Get that egg out of there!" Ash encouraged. With a tremendous effort, Pikachu grabbed a handful of Blissey's skin in each front paw, arching its back and popping the egg right out of the Happiness Pokemon's pouch! "Now, Thunderbolt it away!" Ash commanded. Still panting from its recent tactic, Pikachu blasted the egg with electricity, rolling it into the far corner of the field.

"Dislodge Pikachu and use Flamethrower!" shouted Will, panicking slightly for the first time in the battle. Flailing around in agony and desperation, Blissey managed to throw Pikachu off itself again. Additionally, its Flamethrower hit its mark this time; the Electric Mouse took the hit in the chest, blasting it back several feet.

"Hang tough, Pikachu!" Ash encouraged. But then, he noticed something that made him wince. "Pikachu!" he shouted. His best friend had been engulfed in a momentary, spontaneous burst of fire. _Why'd Pikachu have to get burned now?_ Ash thought, going into panic mode himself. _I _have _to beat Blissey with Pikachu! Tyranitar can't beat four of Will's Pokemon by itself!_

"Double-Edge, Blissey!" ordered Will, his calm returned.

"Pikachu, dodge it!" screamed Ash reflexively. Barely in time, the Electric Mouse slipped away from Will's Pokemon.

But now that Will had gotten the initiative back, he was not about to let up on attacking. "Use Grass Knot!" he called.

"Quick, Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" yelled Ash, his heart pounding in his chest. Turning back to face Blissey, the Electric Mouse rushed forward, electrical energy surging through its body. Just as Ash had banked on, this allowed Pikachu to slice the Grass Knot in half without even slowing Pikachu down. "Now, Pikachu," shouted Ash, "combine your Iron Tail with a full-power Thunderbolt!" Summoning all its strength for its best friend, the diminutive yellow Pokemon funneled all its electricity into its tail, which it swung into its surprised opponent with all its might. What seemed like enough energy to power all of Goldenrod City streamed into Blissey's body, conducted efficiently by Pikachu's tail. Staggering backward a few steps, Blissey felt the electricity still sending sparks through its nervous system, and then fell over, knocked out cold.

The referee was almost as dazed and surprised as Blissey was; indeed, he had taken some stray voltage from the attack as well. After a few seconds, he shook himself out of his near trance, and raised the red flag on Ash's side. "Blissey is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!"

* * *

**Author's Note: And the epic battle between Ash and Will continues! Despite Ash's best efforts, he is still behind in this battle, and it's nearly time for him to reveal his secret weapon. Will Tyranitar be up to the challenge before it?**

**And meanwhile, Sceptile has finally won Paul's approval; Sceptile seems happy, but Reggie is less than thrilled. What will he do about the situation, and what will that mean for his brother?**


	37. To the Dark Side

Chapter 37: To the Dark Side

Ash watched Will recall Blissey, a look of puzzlement on his face. Pikachu's most recent attack had looked very different from any other Thunderbolt Ash had ever seen. Taking his mind off the battle, he wondered, _What just went on there? _Pikachu had played ping pong once during its travels with Ash in Sinnoh, and it reminded Ash vaguely of Pikachu returning a serve.

After praising Blissey for its battling, Will looked at Pikachu with a puzzlement equal to Ash's. If he wasn't mistaken, he had just seen Pikachu pull off a move that was not used very much in this part of the world. In fact, the last time Will himself had seen that move was years ago, while participating in an inter-regional tournament in the faraway Littoria region. However, judging from the confused look on Ash's face, Ash hadn't expected Pikachu to use that move either. So since Ash was still conducting the battle as could be expected, Will opted to stay on course. Throwing his next Pokeball, he called out, "Jynx, ready yourself!" Again, the Human Shape Pokemon materialized on the field, raising its large hands in front of itself.

Snapping himself back to reality, Ash looked back at the field. His eyes fell on Jynx, then Pikachu. "You okay, buddy?" he called. Pikachu, though in pain and breathing heavily, gave its trainer a determined thumbs up. "Okay, Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. However, only a few sparks flew from Pikachu's cheeks.

"Ash," Will called sternly, "I expected better of you. Leaving a Pokemon in a battle like this when it's low on energy can be both stressful and dangerous."

"But it was Pikachu's choice to stay in, not just mine!" Ash protested.

"Nevertheless, it is your duty as a trainer to protect the well-being of your Pokemon. Now, I know you like to save your strongest Pokemon until the very end of the battle, but I strongly urge you to give Pikachu a chance to recover its strength a little."

Ash paused on hearing this. Was Will right? He thought of Sceptile, gone because of a feeling of betrayal. Still, he just couldn't see Pikachu doing the same thing... but he had to make sure this was really what Pikachu wanted... "Pikachu!" Ash called. "You sure you want to stay in? It'll be okay if you want to take a break." Pikachu shook its head, then turned back to fix its opponent with a hard stare. "I'll take Pikachu's call," said Ash. "Pikachu wants to fight this battle out!"

Will gave a sigh. "As you wish, Ash," he said resignedly. "Ice Beam!" he ordered Jynx.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" called Ash. Avoiding the pale blue beam emanating from between Jynx's hands, the Electric Mouse ran at its adversary, barreling into its face. "Now use Iron Tail!"

"Doubleslap!" commanded Will. Pikachu flipped over in midair, ready to follow up on its previous attack, but Jynx sent it careening into the air with a slap. As soon as Ash's Pokemon had fallen within range again, Jynx slapped it with its other hand, knocking it back twenty feet.

"Pikachu, give it everything you've got and use Volt Tackle!" Ash shouted, worried. Getting up and gritting its tiny teeth, the Electric Mouse rushed its opponent again, electricity crackling around its body once more. However, Pikachu seemed to be slowing down... and the electricity was fading...

"Psyshock!" ordered Will. Bringing its hands together, the Human Shape Pokemon shot a mass of psychic energy at its incoming opponent. Pikachu was blasted into the air before landing on its back, unconscious.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Jynx is the winner!"

"Pikachu!" called Ash, running onto the field. "You okay, buddy?" he asked, picking up his best friend. Pikachu, covered in burns and scratches, gave a weak smile. "You battled great, Pikachu," said Ash. "We wouldn't still be in this match if it wasn't for your hard work. Now, take a rest." After placing Pikachu gingerly on the edge of the field, he picked up his final Pokeball. _It's time for you to show your stuff_, Ash thought. _You've got your work cut out for you; you're gonna have to beat three Pokemon for us to win. But I _know_ you can do it!_ After taking a deep breath, he threw the Pokeball. "Tyranitar, I choose you!" Tyranitar's green and black forms burst out of the Pokeball; the Armor Pokemon gave a jubilant roar as its feet touched the battlefield, raising its muscular arms, ready for a real battle at last.

Although the crowd made noises of both excitement and shock, Will's face displayed only the latter. "But..." he muttered to himself. "How...? How did Ash get a Tyranitar without anybody knowing? I could have _sworn_ he'd use Charizard for this battle... never mind." Shaking his head to clear his mind, Will sized up his chances. He'd put his lineup together expecting Ash to use Charizard; replacing Ash's usual power Pokemon with an unexpected Dark-type was an unpleasant surprise, to say the least. _I have no idea exactly how strong Tyranitar is_, Will thought. _I'll try finding that out before I make a rash decision._ "Jynx, use Ice Beam!" he called.

"Tyranitar, Rock Slide!" commanded Ash. Raising its arms into the air and accepting the pale blue beam on its chest, Ash's newest Pokemon caused nearly a dozen boulders to materialize above its adversary. They fell one after another, trapping Jynx beneath them.

"Break out with Psyshock!" shouted Will.

"Quick, Tyranitar, Double-Edge!" ordered Ash. Expending an enormous effort, Jynx shattered the boulders surrounding itself, then dropped to its knees from the effort. A moment later, Tyranitar crashed into the Human Shape Pokemon, sending it flying across the field.

"Aim a Psyshock at what's left of the boulders!" called Will. Another mass of energy collided with the remains of the rock pile, showering Ash's Pokemon with bits of rock. "Now, Signal Beam!" he ordered.

"Block it with Thunderpunch!" called Ash. Tyranitar crossed it fists over its chest, and they started crackling with electricity. Jynx did not let up its attack, but Tyranitar held firm. "Great job, Tyranitar!" Ash praised his Pokemon. "Now get in closer!"

"Break off the attack and use Ice Beam!" commanded Will. Stopping the Signal Beam, Jynx switched to a sub-freezing beam of light.

"Dodge it and use Crunch!" ordered Ash. Stumbling slightly, the armor Pokemon sidestepped the Ice Beam and charged forward at full speed.

"Look out, Jynx!" shouted Will desperately. "Use Doubleslap!" However, he knew that it would not be enough. Tyranitar barely felt Jynx's palms beating against its torso before clamping its jaws around its opponent's head.

"Thunderpunch!" called Ash, pressing the attack. Releasing Will's Pokemon from its mouth, Tyranitar swung its left fist into Jynx's face. "Now, Tyranitar, wrap this up with Rock Slide!" Ash commanded excitedly.

"Evade it, Jynx!" shouted Will as Ash's Pokemon conjured rocks right above Jynx. However, try as it might to dodge, the Human Shape Pokemon was simply too slow getting up. Two of the boulders trapped the helpless Jynx, who did not move afterward.

"Jynx is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Tyranitar is the winner!"

"Wow," said Ash, watching Will put Jynx in its Pokeball. "Tyranitar could fight like that for all this time and I never gave it a chance before now... Hey, Tyranitar!" he shouted to his victorious Pokemon. "You were awesome right there! Keep up the good work!"

On the other side of the field, Will paused to take stock. For a newly caught Pokemon, Tyranitar was extremely powerful and well-trained. _I wish Xatu was still in the fight_, he thought. _I could have used a Miracle Eye right about now... but Gardevoir will have to do for now._ Making up his mind, Will threw his Pokeball. "Gardevoir, ready yourself!" he called. Emerging with an elegant grace, the Embrace Pokemon pulled itself upright, bringing itself to face its brawny adversary.

"Let's attack first, Tyranitar!" Ash called to his newest Pokemon. "Crunch!"

"Magical Leaf!" commanded Will. The armor Pokemon charged its new opponent, but ran headlong into a barrage of sharp leaves from Gardevoir. Tyranitar roared in pain, stopping in its tracks. "Now use Hidden Power!" Will ordered. His Pokemon sent orbs of white light at its adversary, who was still reeling from the last attack.

"Knock them away with Thunderpunch!" shouted Ash. Swinging its fists wildly, Tyranitar punched the glowing orbs as they shot in its direction, smashing them apart one by one. "Now, Rock Slide!" Ash ordered. Turning defense into attack, Tyranitar conjured a new series of rocks right above Gardevoir's head.

"Evade them!" called Will. Gliding gracefully one way, then, another, Gardevoir managed to avoid getting hit by any of the rocks, but Ash was already calling out his next move.

"Tyranitar, Double-Edge!" As the last of the boulders fell from the air, the Armor Pokemon charged right at its opponent, knocking it back into the pile of rocks. "Alright, now Thunderpunch!" commanded Ash.

"Evade!" ordered Will. Gardevoir rolled over, avoiding Tyranitar's crackling fist, which shattered the boulder underneath, and used the momentum to get its body upright again. "And now, Psychic on the rocks!" called Will.

"Tyranitar, use Thunderpunch to defend yourself!" shouted Ash urgently. His Pokemon started swinging its fists again, but as fast as its punches were, it could not avoid all of the chunks of rock closing in on itself. The Armor Pokemon tenaciously kept its stride, even as it winced whenever a particularly large piece of stone hit its body.

"Magical Leaf!" commanded Will.

"Go in for a Crunch!" ordered Ash, noticing that his own Pokemon was still close to Gardevoir. Crossing his fingers in his pocket, he watched with gritted teeth as Tyranitar fought the Magical Leaf with every ounce of its strength. Finally, the Armor Pokemon lunged forward, closing its jaws around the Embrace Pokemon's head. "Now, Tyranitar," called Ash, "Thunderpunch it right into the ground!" Letting out a triumphant roar and raising both its fists, Tyranitar released Will's Pokemon, who stood, hunched and cowering, right in front of it. Gardevoir could not even bring itself to dodge as its adversary's fists hit it in the shoulders, forcing it several inches below ground level. When Tyranitar stood up again, Gardevoir was completely immobile.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Tyranitar is the winner!" The second sentence, however, was barely audible. The crowd had started cheering louder than ever. Ash, after struggling through most of the battle, had finally managed to pull even. The only question on everyone's mind was which Pokemon would Will use for his final stand.

Will looked at the Pokeball containing his last Pokemon, his expression unreadable to most. _Time to show your colors_, he thought. _I know we'll have to make a change of plans. You'll have to fight Tyranitar's full-on attacks rather than Charizard's speed. Still, you'll be fighting with a type advantage instead of a disadvantage, so I know you have what it takes. This is our year, friend!_ Casting the Pokeball in his hand, Will called out, "Bronzong, ready yourself!" What looked like a large, shiny, and old-fashioned bell materialized on the field. Its mouth gave a grimacing smile, while its red eyes narrowed as it spotted its opponent.

"A Bronzong, huh?" muttered Ash. "This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought." Ash sized up his opponent's, trying to think of what kind of strategy to use. Bronzong's defenses were much higher than Jynx's or Gardevoir's, so Tyranitar couldn't just muscle its way through this final round. Ash would just have to see what kind of attacks Bronzong had up its sleeve; a decently strong Steel-type attack could make his job very difficult. Making up his mind, Ash commanded, "Tyranitar, Rock Slide!" His Pokemon obediently raised its arms, producing rocks out of thin air directly above Bronzong.

"Use Gyro Ball!" ordered Will. Bronzong suddenly started spinning around like a top, smashing any rocks that would have scored a direct hit. Using its momentum, it barreled straight into Tyranitar. The furious Dark-type was knocked back several feet before getting back up, snarling.

"Tyranitar," directed Ash, "stay calm! Since we're up against a Gyro Ball, you'll need to play a little defense!" Tyranitar nodded in acknowledgment.

"Confuse Ray!" called Will.

"Dodge it, quick!" shouted Ash. Tyranitar jumped frantically to the side, evading the dark purple beams headed in its direction, but Will was already calling out his next move.

"Now use Ancientpower!" The Bronze Bell Pokemon timed its new attack excellently, banking on Tyranitar's inability to change direction quickly enough. Ash's Pokemon took the attack on its flank, stumbling backward again.

"Go in for a Thunderpunch!" commanded Ash, trying to gain control of the battle again.

"Gyro ball on the ground!" ordered Will. As its opponent closed in, its fists crackling with electricity, Bronzong started spinning around again, burrowing under the ground like a drill. Nearly an hour of intense battling had made its mark on the field; from the shock waves underneath the arena, Will's Pokemon was meeting less resistance than it otherwise would have as it tunneled under its opponent's feet.

"Tyranitar, you attack the ground too!" called Ash. Just as when it had defeated Gardevoir, the Armor Pokemon swung its massive fists directly downward. This time, with no adversary caught between the Thunderpunch and the arena's floor, chunks of rock and earth flew everywhere, slightly obscuring everyone's vision— but revealing Bronzong coming up again, taking aim at Tyranitar once again. "Yes!" shouted Ash. "Now, Crunch!" As Will's Pokemon broke the surface level, its opponent clamped its jaws around Bronzong's metallic arm. "Thunderpunch!" commanded Ash. Following up, Tyranitar punched Bronzong right between its eyes. The Bronze Bell Pokemon landed with a clunk six feet away.

"Time to strike back!" said Will. "Confuse Ray!" This time, Bronzong's aim was true; it succeeded in hitting Tyranitar with a beam of dark purple. The Armor Pokemon's eyes went red, just like its opponent's, and it began to dance as though dizzy.

"Come on, Tyranitar, shake it off!" yelled Ash loudly, now starting to panic. Adding confusion to Tyranitar's troubles was the last thing he needed. But Tyranitar did not shake it off. It continued to dance weirdly, starting to growl a tuneless song under its breath. "Tyranitar," ordered Ash, "pull yourself together and use Thunderpunch!"

"Gyro Ball!" called Will. Ducking under its opponent's arm, Bronzong slammed into Tyranitar's side with its latest attack. Having lunged so far forward to execute its own move, Ash's Pokemon felt itself flip over its opponent, landing hard on its back. "Now, Ancientpower!" Will commanded. Skidding to a halt, his Pokemon faced its adversary again, firing a new attack at Tyranitar's prone body.

"Tyranitar, roll over, quick!" shouted Ash desperately. By some miracle, the Armor Pokemon heard its trainer's voice clearly, and managed to get itself out of the path of the attack.

"Gyro Ball!" called Will again.

"Block it, Tyranitar!" commanded Ash, his voice still very loud. Raising its arms and no longer attempting to stand up again, the Armor Pokemon reached out, trying to intercept Bronzong's attack before it hit. However, Tyranitar, its thinking still clouded, stepped on a particularly unstable patch of ground, falling into a bow and taking the Gyro Ball directly to its head. Caught by surprise, the Dark-type landed a few feet away, struggling to stand up. "Get back up, Tyranitar!" shouted Ash, the encouragement in his voice marred by nerves and anxiety. "I know you can do it! Come on, let's finish this battle strong!" However, as he looked at his own Pokemon, using every ounce of willpower just to stand, and then at his opponent's, perched proudly on the spot where Tyranitar had been seconds before, he sized up his chances, his face falling. _Tyranitar's really tired_, Ash thought. _But Bronzong's still got lots of energy... so... can we really win this?_ Ash stared at Bronzong, hoping against hope that he could find a weakness that Tyranitar could exploit, assuming of course that Tyranitar could stand up. His eyes moved back to the mouth of Bronzong's bell. _Wait_, he thought, _that's it!_ "Get up, Tyranitar!" Ash called, his voice full of conviction. "This battle's not over yet!" Seemingly invigorated by its trainer's shouting, the Armor Pokemon summoned its strength, pushing itself upright with a roar, it's eyes back to its normal coloration. "Good going, Tyranitar!" said Ash. "Now, use Double-Edge!" Tyranitar charged forward, a determined look in its eyes as it glared at its adversary.

"Confuse Ray!" ordered Will.

"Quick, Tyranitar, drop and use Thunderpunch!" called Ash. Ducking a dark purple beam from Bronzong, the Armor Pokemon let itself fall to the ground, its fists crackling.

"Ancientpower!" commanded Will. However, this call proved to be ill-timed. As Bronzong was readying its attack, Tyranitar punched the ground as it fell. Cracks opened up, and the sandy floor beneath the Bronze Bell Pokemon's front gave way. Will's Pokemon fired its attack down instead of forward, blasting itself in the face. "It's fine, Bronzong!" Will encouraged. "Use Gyro Ball!" Spinning around, the Bronze Bell Pokemon went straight in for a fresh attack.

"Tyranitar, Crunch!" ordered Ash. Jumping into the air, the Armor Pokemon caught Bronzong in its mouth like a dog catching a frisbee. Plaintive metallic sounds emanated from the Bronze Bell Pokemon's body as it fought to break free.

_Bronzong's at the wrong angle for a Confuse Ray_, thought Will. _I'll need to try this instead._ "Another Gyro Ball!" he shouted.

"Flip it over!" called Ash as Bronzong's now-labored spinning started. Using the Steel-type's own momentum, Tyranitar jumped, doing a front flip in midair while it released its opponent. Bronzong slammed into the ground as Tyranitar was still up in the air.

"Use Ancientpower!" shouted Will, feeling the tide of the battle turning against him.

"Thunderpunch back-to-back!" commanded Ash. Tyranitar swung its massive fists as it closed in on Bronzong. The first punch deflected the Ancientpower, and the second hit Will's Pokemon squarely in the face.

"Gyro Ball, now!" ordered Will.

"Crunch!" called Ash. Bronzong was slower than usual in launching its attack; Tyranitar struck first, biting savagely a the yoke at the top of its adversary's body. When the Armor Pokemon released its grip, Bronzong fell over with a low thunk, unconscious.

"Bronzong is unable to battle!" the referee announced, his voice nearly drowned out. "Tyranitar is the winner! And the winner of this match is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"Wow," said Ash as the cheers redoubled. "I really did it. I won against an Elite Four member." Finally, not being able to contain himself any longer, he shouted, "YES! We're in the finals! Hey, Tyranitar, you're really awesome to fight like that in your first trainer battle!" Tyranitar lumbered back to its trainer, panting heavily, and bear-hugged Ash. "Tyranitar?" asked Ash, still having to shout because of the crowd's noises. The Armor Pokemon looked down into Ash's face. "I'm sorry I didn't let you fight in any battles before. I knew how strong you were too. I guess I needed something big like this battle to make me take a chance." Tyranitar growled happily.

"Ash!" called a voice.

Ash looked to see his friends and family half-running to congratulate him, Norman in the lead.

"Great battle, Ash!" exclaimed Norman. "I _knew_ you could win it!"

"Thanks a lot, Dad!" said Ash. "I couldn't have done without your help!" After a pause, he continued, "Now the pressure's on _you_. You promised you'd beat Sabrina tomorrow."

"Believe me, Ash," said Norman, "I'm done breaking promises. We'll have our father-son full battle in the finals."

May suddenly pointed at a spot near the edge of the field and gasped, "Ash, look!"

Turning around, Ash looked around to see Will walking toward him, his crying four-year-old daughter by his side— and Pikachu in his arms.

Ash felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Surrounded by his friends, he hadn't noticed that his best friend hadn't run up to him, cheering with everyone else. "Pikachu!" he yelled, running to meet Will.

"Ash," said Will sternly, "congratulations on winning our battle, but I did warn you to keep a closer eye on the needs of your Pokemon— even in the heat of battle."

"Daddy," said the little blond girl by Will's side, "is Pikachu gonna be okay?"

"Yes, Fallon," answered Will soothingly, "Pikachu will be just fine." Turning his head back to face Ash, he continued, "From your reputation as a trainer, this seems very unlike you. You always seemed to be the kind of trainer who cares for his Pokemon much more than this. I hope I am correct in guessing that this is an isolated occurrence?"

"Yeah," said Ash miserably. "I can't believe I did something so stupid." He held out his arms in time for Will to place the unconscious Pikachu in his arms. "Thanks a lot, Will."

"You're welcome," said Will. "But _please_ be more attentive in the future."

"What's wrong?" asked Misty as Ash ran back to everyone.

"Is Pikachu okay?" inquired Delia.

"No," said Ash. "Pikachu got hurt a lot worse than I thought in that battle. Brock, can you tell how bad it is?"

"No," answered Brock, "but the only thing to do right now is get Pikachu to the Pokemon Center."

* * *

Everybody waited at the counter with bated breath. All present were waiting to see how long a recovery period Pikachu would need. Would it be a day? Two days? A week?

Finally, Nurse Joy came out of the back room, prompting a cascade of questions from Ash. "Nurse Joy, is Pikachu gonna be okay? Will it be out of here tomorrow? How are all those burns?"

"Please calm down," said Nurse Joy, not smiling. "Pikachu will recover. It's only a matter of time."

Ash sighed with relief. "So how much time, Nurse Joy?" he asked.

"As far as its stay here," Nurse Joy answered, "Pikachu will need to be in our care for about three or four days. But for a full recovery, I strongly recommend that you don't train or battle with Pikachu for three weeks."

"Wha— three weeks?" Ash spluttered. "But Pikachu loves battling! When I asked Pikachu if it wanted a break, Pikachu said no!"

"Then Pikachu probably contributed to its own condition," said Nurse Joy simply. "And Pikachu battled in _every _one of your Champions' League matches thus far, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, so many intense battles in such a rapid succession can take their toll on any Pokemon, even the toughest ones. Give it three weeks, and then Pikachu can battle again."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy... can I see Pikachu for a minute?"

"No, I'm sorry. Because of the treatment that Pikachu is going through at the moment, it can't get any visitors until tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

Nurse Joy left, leaving everyone relieved but still downhearted. Just as Nurse Joy had guessed and Ash had confirmed, Pikachu had been by its trainer's side throughout the Champions' League. Now, it would be sitting out the final match, and whether Norman or Sabrina would be facing him, he would be without the most reassuring presence of all.

Finally, Delia broke the silence. "This is all _your_ fault!" she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Norman. "See what I mean? This is what happens when all Ash is focused on is winning!"

"I thought you said you didn't like my advice because I was giving Ash 'unfair expectations' of defeating Will," replied Norman evenly. "Still, though..." Norman turned to his older son and continued, "Ash, if you interpreted my advice as anything that led to Pikachu being hurt, I apologize. I should have been clearer with what I was saying."

"You don't have to be sorry, Dad," said Ash. "It's not your fault." He took a deep breath before saying, "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have _told _Pikachu to get out of that battle so it wouldn't get hurt."

"But Ash—" started Misty.

"No," said Ash. "I know I can't stew in this forever, but... I know I could've done better to keep Pikachu safe." Feeling tears in his eyes, Ash said to everyone, "I need to be alone," and dashed to a table in the corner.

* * *

Indeed, Ash had hardly ever felt more alone. With all the calls he was making in his battles, he couldn't help but wonder who was next on his team. Sceptile was gone because Ash had told it to sacrifice itself... and now Pikachu was hospitalized, unable to battle for three whole weeks, because Ash had let it stay in a dangerous battle with a burn, its electricity drained, and a dangerous opponent in front of it. So who _would_ be next? He suddenly imagined Infernape squaring off against a faceless Pokemon belonging to Paul before being forced underwater, letting the air out of its lungs in a scream of pain...

The others were still there but Ash paid them no attention. Their muffled talking was as meaningless to him as the noises of the medical machines clicking behind the wall he was facing. He just wanted to wait his friends and family out, hoping they would just go back to the hotel, and spend the night at the Pokemon Center, ready to apologize to Pikachu as soon as he was allowed. Ash vaguely heard the sound of a body hitting the floor, followed by what sounded like a groan from Brock, and then echoing footsteps, but paid them no mind. Whoever was walking toward him was not worth his time right now...

"Ash?" said a woman's voice. "I saw what happened to Pikachu, so I thought I'd pay a visit here."

Surprised, Ash looked up into her face, and his jaw dropped. "Cynthia?" Ash gasped. "Thanks for coming by, but Pikachu's not getting any visitors."

"That's what I heard," said Cynthia, sitting down, "but I really wanted to talk to _you_."

"Yeah. I know I messed up not getting Pikachu out of that fight earlier."

"Yes. It's an easy mistake to make in a battle."

"Huh?" Cynthia's remark caught Ash by surprise. After the tongue-lashing he'd gotten from Will, coupled with his own guilt, he'd half-expected more of the same from the champion.

"Plenty of trainers have been in your boat," said Cynthia. "In fact, the same thing happened with Garchomp and myself once."

"Really?" asked Ash, wanting to know more.

However, Cynthia never got a chance to give him more information. Another set of footsteps was running toward the table they were sharing, and a male voice was calling Ash's name. "Ash! Hey, Ash!"

"Reggie?" said Ash, surprised again, as he saw Paul's brother running toward him. "What's up? It's really not a good time. Pikachu just got hurt, and it's partly my fault. I'm trying to deal with it right now."

"I understand that," said Reggie, his voice permeated with urgency. "I'd just hoped to catch you at the stadium, but you'd already left."

Ash's eyes widened. "Why?" he asked.

Reggie looked down at the ground, apparently trying to calm himself down, before looking back up and saying, "Ash, you need to come with me. Paul's got your Sceptile."

* * *

**Author's Note: Finished with another chapter! This one turned out longer and more complicated than I thought it would be. I didn't realize how long Pikachu's injury would make it. And to those of you who were just waiting to see Tyranitar battling, your wait paid off! Hope you liked it. :)**

**So Ash is through Pikachu is out of action for the final match, but before Ash could even come to grips with it, Cynthia shows up... and then Reggie breaks the big news to him about Paul and Sceptile. What will Ash do now?**


End file.
